Staying Romantic On The Road

Being a traveling couple, like being a couple anywhere, has its difficulties. Sure, it’s easy enough to get along (on most days). That’s about compromise. But what about being romantic? That’s the other side of being a couple that people sometimes forget. Traveling, by default, isn’t always the most romantic endeavor.

“But how is traveling the world not like, the most romantic thing ever?”

It’s true that world travel has its perks, but for the most part, I’d argue that traveling together is more of a bonding experience, not a romantic experience. That is, unless of course, you consider multiple days in a row without showering, clothes that haven’t been washed in sometimes weeks, and lugging around 20+ pound backpacks, romantic.

I for one do not.

Actually, I think it was a lot easier to be romantic at home. Consider the following:

At home: On special occasions, we could go out to a nice restaurant or maybe I’d buy Vicky a present.

Traveling: We go out to restaurants pretty much every day and it loses its appeal. We don’t have room in our bags for any items.

At home: It was easy to do something nice, like clean or decorate the apartment, or cook dinner.

Traveling: We have no apartment or kitchen.

At home: We could go out on a date or maybe see a show for which we bought tickets in advance.

Traveling: Everyday is already its own event and it’s difficult to plan for things in advance when you’re constantly moving and not sure where you will be when.

How then, do you continue to be romantic, when you eat out all the time and all you have with you are your back packs? Here are some tips that Vicky and I try:

“Splurge” on a romantic getaway

When you’re Couchsurfing or staying in hostels frequently, it can make a big difference to spend a few nights at a luxurious hotel or resort. Even travelers need a vacation, and who wouldn’t die to stay at a place like Seychelles Resort, with an Olympic sized pool and lounge? Other types of accommodations can “kill two birds with one stone”, like timeshares, which often have  fine dining on-site along with full kitchens and living rooms in the suite. In this case, you have your romantic getaway and can do an evening meal all in one!  What Vicky and I wouldn’t give for our own kitchen for just a few nights. While we aren’t there yet, we do like to break in each country with a hotel stay when we can, which is exactly what we did with Beijing, China and will do again in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Try to reserve some activities for special occasions

It’s true that we eat out at restaurants constantly. Still, there is one restaurant that we reserve purely for special occasions: Pizza Hut.

“Really?”

Yep. It’s one of Vicky and my favorite places to eat from back home. Moreover, in China, Pizza hut is an upscale restaurant (the meals are usually 2x the price). So don’t go saying I don’t know how to show my girl a good time! Recently, we went there to celebrate getting our Vietnam Visa and, naturally, ordered the Super Supreme.

See a show or take a class

If we were in DC right around now we’d be looking to see a play or go to the ballet, like Swan Lake. Nowadays we rarely have the foresight (or opportunity) to buy tickets months in advance. Still, whenever we get into a big city and are planning on staying there for more than a few days, it’s a good idea to check the local event pages and see if there are any shows going on. Or you can simply ask around. That’s how we ended up seeing the Chinese acrobats in Shanghai. If a show isn’t you’re thing, consider taking a class together like dancing.

How do you continue to be romantic while traveling?