I met my husband when he worked at a job that had him jet-setting around the world, which was one of the things that first attracted me to him. I still regret not joining him in Copenhagen because “it was too soon” in our relationship. (20+ years later and I STILL have not been). Over the years in our travels, we have learned how to work together to have a pace of travel that works for both of us, and visit sights around the world with our kids, helping raise budding world travelers. In that time, we learned some valuable lessons that have helped keep our marriage happy and our traveling life alive.
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- Intentionally Revisit Meaningful Milestones
- Prioritize Couple Reconnection Trips
- Embrace and Lean into Each Other’s Unique Passions
- Take Advantage of Work Opportunities
- Remember Where Your Spouse Comes From
Intentionally Revisit Meaningful Milestones
We have been lucky enough to revisit a few destinations (both with and without) our kids. Reviewing key places and celebrating milestones with travel is how we measure our growth in our lives as a couple. Revisiting Savanah twenty years later we were able to enjoy not only time together, but memories of restaurants we loved and time we had together when we were young and engaged. Revisiting the Taj Mahal and watching it through the eyes of our children showed us how much we have grown in our life and family. These trips allow you to look back at who you were and celebrate how far your marriage has come. It is a chance to fall in love with each other all over again.
Prioritize Couple Reconnection Trips
Traveling without children is just as important to my husband and I as traveling with the children. When we are away without them, we get to talk about us, about our likes, dislikes, dreams, and fears. It stops being about the day-to-day worries of running a family and goes back to where we will soon return, just the two of us. We have been blessed with a strong support network that we have been able to lean on. Grandparents, siblings, or family friends help cover when needed to carve out dedicated couples-only time. Stepping away for a romantic weekend, where you can walk in a city with cute boutiques, enjoy cocktails without fear of a kid trying to reach for it, or share an oyster dinner without a strict family itinerary, allows you to re-engage with your partner’s individual personality outside of just being “mom and dad.”
Embrace and Lean into Each Other’s Unique Passions
A successful travel partnership does not require doing everything the exact same way; it requires celebrating what the other brings to the table. On our travels, my husband brings his love and talent for photography and a deep love for culinary adventures. I love all things history and make sure we get out learning about the culture and heritage of wherever we are visiting. I handle planning, storytelling, and writing, while my husband handles the food and dinner reservations. Letting each other shine in your respective elements makes the trip richer for both of us.
Take Advantage of Work Opportunities
I met my husband when he worked for a company traveling around the world helping set international telecom standards. Through the years we have both had different work opportunities that have taken us to as close as Seattle and as far away as Rome. When your spouse is invited to a conference or a work event in an interesting city, look at it as a perfect excuse to tag along. While they handle their professional sessions, you can explore solo, and your evenings are transformed into an immediate, low-stress date night in a new setting. If you can, tack on days before and afterwards to make it a full vacation. That is how my husband and I spent 10 days exploring Rome while he presented it as a prestigious conference.
Remember Where Your Spouse Comes From
A profound part of our family’s travel story involves returning to my husband’s roots in India. In fact, I started this blog to document taking my kids back to India during my maternity leave. Traveling to a partner’s homeland is more than just sightseeing, it is an act of deep connection and honoring their heritage. Navigating long-haul flights, intense layovers (like a 17-hour sprint through Tokyo or 18 hours in Zurich), and cultural reunions build an unbreakable sense of teamwork and mutual respect between spouses.
We have been married 20+ years, together almost 25, and have raised two children who are starting to expand out into their own lives and travels. I hope our kids take these lessons and grow up to have meaningful, fulfilling relationships that take them all over the world as well. But before they are ready for that, I hope you find a nugget to help you on your relationship journey, may it be in the early dating stages, or after many years of marriage like us.
Edited by: SKS
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