There are lots of big tests when you’re in a relationship, like meeting the parents, moving in together and getting a pet with your partner. Seeing how your partner acts and reacts in these situations is crucial in figuring out if your boo is someone you want to spend a lot more time with (like potentially FOREVER). But here’s a test you can try out early on that’ll teach you a lot about your compatibility: taking a big trip together. If travel is a part of your life, chances are you’ll take a vacation together at some point, and seeing how they behave and how the two of you get along during your stay can show you a lot about your relationship. Keep reading for five things you’ll find out about your partner when you head somewhere exotic together.
1. How they prepare for something big. Do they like to head to the airport early or at the last possible minute? Did they pack the night before or just throw a bunch of stuff in a suitcase 10 minutes before leaving the house? Learning if your partner likes to plan everything out ahead of time (down to the very last detail) or if they’re more of an “it will all work out” type will help you predict how they might behave in other big moments of your lives together. There’s nothing wrong with either approach — even if you’re opposites you can still make things work — but it’s good to have an idea of what to expect from them down the line. Like they say, knowledge is power.
2. How they behave in the face of adversity. Seriously, flight delays are the worst. But there’s really nothing you can do to predict or fix them. If you’re taking a long-distance trip with your S.O., it’s likely that somewhere along the way you’ll hit a snag in your plans. Maybe your rental car isn’t available at the time it’s supposed to be or your Airbnb host accidentally double-booked that awesome apartment you’re supposed to be staying in. Issues inevitably come up when you’re traveling, just as they do in life. Seeing how your boo deals with an unexpected glitch can provide a lot of insight into how they might handle other unexpected hardships. If they can’t handle hanging in an airport for a few hours without having a meltdown, it might be a clue that you won’t want to have them around when some real stuff goes down later in life.
3. How they treat others. You’ve probably observed how your partner treats other people a fair amount by the time you take a trip together, but different settings sometimes induce changes in behavior. When something goes wrong, notice how your S.O. treats the person on the delivering end of the bad news. It’s okay to be bummed that something isn’t working out as planned, but if they yell at a flight attendant, restaurant staffer or rental agency employee, that might be something to think about.
4. How adaptable they are. If you’re heading somewhere foreign or exotic, pay attention to how your partner reacts to being in new and different surroundings. Do they attempt to speak the language, even if their pronunciation is laughably bad? Do they try the local cuisine, even if it’s something they’d never normally eat? Traveling can really show you how open to new experiences, cultures and people someone is, and again, that’s important info you want to know about your potential mate.
5. How you get along when you’re together 24/7. Some people like to chill out all day when they’re on vacation and see how many beach reads they can get through in a week. Others need to be constantly moving, seeing the sights and staying active. Vacation is a great time to see how compatible you and bae are in terms of true leisure time. It’s no big deal if you like to do different things, but it’s good to know whether or not you’ll have to compromise a bit on how you spend your time together. In this way, a getaway is an amazing time to see how it might be if you eventually decide to move in together. Can you handle each other in a low-stress situation for a full week? If so, yay! And if not, it might be time to rethink whether you’re ready to take that next step together.
All in all, one vacation probably won’t make or break your relationship with your S.O., but the intel you’ll gather about their personality and habits on a trip together is super valuable to the well-being of your relationship. Plus, romantic vacays are the best!
Have you ever taken a trip with your boo? How did it go? Tell us about it @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)
