What's trending in travel?
Valentine’s Day next week will no doubt cause a flurry of last-minute bookings for those whisking the object of their affections away for all manner of ends (sealing the deal; a limping apology; perhaps even romance).
But is travel really that sexy? Sure, there are moments of giddy elation: holding hands as the sun sets behind the Eiffel Tower (if
that’s your bag), or getting jiggy with it under a mosquito net, can hold a certain exotic appeal.
However, when on the road, it’s best to choose a travel buddy who already knows you intimately and can handle the whole package – which goes for all your flaws and foibles, as well as that cute thing you do with your nose.
Something about being forced into close quarters and potentially eschewing the comfort zone brings out the warts ‘n’ all.
And one thing’s for sure – if you’re new to a relationship, you’ll know each other much better by the time you get home. This can be a good thing, and it cannot: we’re talking make or break point.
It has worked out. A couple I know fast-tracked the getting-to-know-you bit when they got food poisoning in Cuba: bonding over toilet-bound unpleasantness has them engaged to be married today.
However, travelling together is generally more suited to long-termers:
it means not being offended if your paramour isn’t interested in jumping your bones while you’re coated in mosquito repellent, and being OK with a lone saloon door separating the bed and the bathroom after a tummy-challenging meal.
I’m not saying don’t whisk someone away for Valentine’s. I’m just advising you consider what this imagined romance-and-romp getaway might realistically entail.
