Types of Travel
As part of my work, I mediate various conflicts and tensions, including those between couples, co-founders, employees, and families. Surprisingly, a common tension point between couples is travel.
I've found it helpful to spend time figuring out what travel means to each person and what kinds of travel they enjoy. Is travel a cultural or familial experience? Are there class barriers to consider?
For instance, my partner and I have very different travel experiences. I love travel and can’t get enough of it, while my partner prefers it to be more predictable and moderate in frequency. She likes direct flights and stresses about the travel process, but once we arrive, she has a great time. I, on the other hand, relish every part of the journey and start planning the next trip as soon as one ends.
Growing up, her travel experiences were big, two-week-long holidays focused on relaxation and visiting family in the UK. My travel, however, involved visiting family in India or accompanying my dad on work trips to new places with subsidized costs. I enjoy adventure travel, city breaks, spa trips, and more. While my partner likes these too, she leans more towards city breaks and relaxation.
After different challenges and fights, we’ve figured out our travel flow for this season of life — accounting for our financial privilege, paid time off, and energy levels. This is what works best for now:
One big trip a year: A new destination, probably for two weeks, with a mix of exploration, nature, and relaxation.
One trip to the US: To see friends and family. This is an energy-intensive trip with lots of social interactions, and sometimes we need an escape after this trip. We also try to find time for just the two of us during this visit.
One mainland Europe trip: A mix of beach relaxation and city exploration.
Any additional trips are usually domestic UK trips to visit my partner's relatives or to enjoy the coast for some rest — sometimes a Eurostar to Paris is a fun treat as well!
We generally avoid purely physical adventure trips like skiing or all-inclusive resorts, as we don’t enjoy being confined to one place. This is by no means perfect or all inclusive, but sincerely navigating these preferences has made our travel experiences richer and more enjoyable. It's all about finding the right balance and understanding each other's travel styles way before any kind of trip is planned.