Traveling is the perfect situation for a solo traveler, if you think about it. For a single person who wants to experience a new culture but isn’t sure where to start, or with whom to start, solo travel is there to fill such your needs— that’s not even mentioning the built-in sense of adventure that comes alongside a divinely-crafted tribe, pulled together from different individual threads of life to weave a colorful tapestry full of self-actualization and unconditional support. For the most part, the people you meet in your travels only know you from that moment in your life and, unencumbered by the past, you’re allowed to soar into your infinite potential. Not bad for a simple, solo ‘vacation,’ right?
But, consider this: couples who travel together, stay together. That’s the saying, isn’t it? Perhaps it’s ‘couples who surf together, stay together’ or something about yoga or cooking. Either way, the truth of this advice immediately strikes one as the sincere: there’s a sense of realness and rawness about travel as a whole that feels like the most natural and transparent way to experience a person’s true self (whether that person is yourself or a partner) and learn to love them as a real being, complete with flaws and insecurities and all. I’m no relationship expert, but if that’s not a foundation for a lasting type of love, then we don’t know what is!
Not convinced? Here’s a deep dive into what’s possible when you go a step further and retreat with the one whom you love.
1) Time alone — but you’re not actually alone
Travel is, if anything, a chance to stop away from daily life in order to reconnect with oneself. If that’s your goal, then that’s perfect; but if you’re looking to deepen your relationship and renew that spark between you and your significant other, then some time away from daily life might be just what the doctor ordered. If you want to remember who you were before all the endless responsibilities of modern life were placed upon your shoulders (or, even, to see who you have become despite such hurdles) and have that being connect deeply with another, it’s imputative to carve out time to travel together in this way.
2) Explore new cuisine
If you ask anyone their favorite part of traveling, the answers may vary, but there will always be a common thread — the food. Oh, the food! The local cuisine, the spices from the market, the cooking techniques that have been passed down through generations. There is something so titillating about taking a part of a new land and experiencing it through taste that is so raw and intimate. Even if you don’t like every new flavor you try, simply by doing so you have expanded your understanding of the world in a way that prevents you cannot shrink back to how you were before; and to experience that together with your significant other? Priceless!
3) Discover new depths with yoga
Connect the body, the mind and the breath — then, explore the magic that is nirvana! That’s the basic principle of yoga, and it applies off the mat just as much as it does on it. The way we practice yoga is a great metaphor for the way we go through our lives: do we grind through our asanas with teeth clenched and mind swearing up a storm, or do we proceed through the ups/downs of our practice with grace and humility? Practicing yoga is like holding a mirror up to your conscious as asking “how can I live a better life?” If you approach the practice with your relationship in mind and your partner right beside you, that answer becomes just that much clearer.
4) Overcome challenges in tandem
Travel is always rife with obstacles. Think you’re going to make it to your flight on time? Surprise parade blocking the street! Want to try that new restaurant down the street? Turns out you needed to make reservations months in advance. Think you’ve avoided getting sick? Here’s a virus that’ll knock you on your butt for three days! Do these possibilities stop us from traveling? Hell no — in fact, they encourage us to travel more and travel farther, for in each of these challenges therein lies a lesson. It’s a chance for us to overcome and face the world with a new, more broadened perspective. When we solve these problems and find joy in the face of adversity, together with our partners, then we not only become more confident in ourselves, but in the relationship as a whole.
5) Support each other through adventure
When you’re surfing, or challenging yourself in any sort of physical way, you’re never really alone. Sure, when you’re riding that wave, it’s just you and your board… but the second you step down from heaven and return back to earth, you’ll notice the community that has gathered to watch, wait their turn, and cheer you on as you flow and glide. When a group of people can gather over the experience of surfing, something beautiful is constructed — it’s like art, but better, because it is living and breathing and ever-changing. Now, imagine looking down as you descend and catching the gaze of your significant other; proud no matter if you fell or flew, but simply for the fact that you had the courage to try. From that, stems a deep and resounding admiration for one another.
6) Pamper, pamper, pamper!
It’s easy to capture that feeling of bliss and sublimity when existing in a state of post-spa relaxation — and if you’re the type of person who needs a reason to relax in such a way, then consider a vacation your perfect excuse! There’s nothing like a 4-hand couples massage (does that make it an 8-hand massage?) or a clawfoot bathtub filled with flower petals to soothe the mind and open the heart. It’s the perfect occasion to treat your partner to something that’s just for them, or for an experience that you both can share together.
7) Rediscover your flirty, youthful nature
Your inner child, playful and innocent, is always present within you — but, sometimes we pile on so many adult responsibilities onto this aspect of ourselves that it became silent and stifled. Remember how it was to belly laugh and be unable to verbalize exactly why? When was the last time you did something on a whim, simply because you wanted to? It’s about time that you felt good in your body and felt bold enough to flash a knowing smile to your significant other, or to touch their hand as they flip through the pages of their book and feel a familiar spark. On a related note, how many times do you get to shamelessly oogle each other in your bathing suits? On retreat, it’s not uncommon to live 24/7 in a bathing suit, rashie or yoga gear, so get ready to be eye candy for the person who admires you the most.
8) The most valuable souvenir: lessons you can take back home
Travel doesn’t exist in a silo — it’s main purpose is not to pamper and soothe for the time being, only to abandon you upon your return back to daily life! Travel is a method of taking a deep dive into your psyche, analyzing yourself from the safety of your supportive tribe, and taking the first steps towards living a life more in line with your bliss. There is no real reason to learn how to be grateful while on the beach if those lessons do not translate back home, where you spend most of your time (unless you live directly on the beach, that is). While we all wish we could be on vacation 24/7, it is rarely our reality, so take the lessons and insight that the universe offers you and leverage it in a way that is constructive. If you opened up access to your heart, offer it freely to the person you love. If you are now speaking your truth, make sure your partner receives your honest voice too. How can you support each other’s bliss, while at the same time nurturing your own? It is a pleasure and an honor to have the ability to improve your life, perspective and relationships — For this reason, perhaps, this is the most important reason of them all to retreat with your honey.
