Not every person is suited to travel together.
Even the best of friends can realize that they have two completely different travel styles once they hit the road. Then the next thing you know you can’t agree on anything and your days are spent bitter rather than enjoying a killer experience.
But the same can be said for relationships.
My girlfriend and I are just shy of being together for 5 years (which still blows my mind when I really think about it). Up until last year she had never left the United States. Me having a constant “go big or go home” attitude I decided to slap a 2 1/2 month backpacking trip through Europe on her for her first international trip.
Some people say you don’t really know your significant other until you live together. F**k that. You don’t know your significant other until you’re plopped in a foreign country together, don’t know the language, you’re lost, you have 25+lbs on your back AND you have 15 minutes to catch your train. (I’m not speaking from personal experience or anything lol).
Since traveling has always been a huge part of my life I figured that if I threw her in headfirst into my biggest passion and she came out on top then surely, it was meant to be.
Now a year later, thousands of miles under our belts and a bunch of passport stamps later I’ve realized that she is the best travel partner I could have ever asked for.
She is my saving grace on stressful travel days, the one who can soothe me with a reassuring smile or better yet, a surprise treat because she knows deep down I’m just hangry.
She is the one who will dance the night away with me even though her feet hurt from walking all day. Just because it will make me happy.
She is the one who stands alongside me on the top of a mountain and reminds me that we made it here together.
She is the one who will shake her head and laugh when I ask her to retake a picture a hundred times because I didn’t like the angle or the wind blew my hair in my face.
She is willing to try whatever food is handed to her and discover whatever city gets suggested.
She loves to live life spontaneously and not take it too seriously.
She is just the most incredible person in this whole entire world. Most days I glance over at her while she watches the view out of a train window and wonder what I ever did to deserve someone as amazing as her.
I’ll never forget the look of wonder in her eyes when we touched down in our first European city. I was drunk off of her sense of curiosity, and so moved to see her eagerly embrace this traveling lifestyle.
There are some days when it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Days when we’re so over being together everyday that every comment is decorated with an attitude. Or days when there’s a full blown argument in the middle of an Austrian bridge because we don’t know what direction the hostel is in. But these are just moments in otherwise wonderful days. These moments help us grow not only within ourselves but together as a couple. We need these tough moments to remind us that we can overcome any obstacle as long as we work together.
Without even realizing it she’s taught me more about myself and the type of person I want to be. Having her alongside me on my adventures has taught me patience, empathy and most importantly that I have 100% found my soulmate. Which is the most wonderful thing I could have discovered in this world.
Voyaging Vagabond 