Traveling has a way of impacting so many facets of your life and in so many ways, seeing the world and experiencing it first hand changes us in different ways.  Perhaps though, what’s often overlooked about how travel impacts us is just how our travel partners impact us.

For me, the majority of my traveling in the past 10 years has been with Nick by my side.  We didn’t start doing International travel together until our honeymoon 3 years ago, and even though we’d done numerous small domestic trips together before that, our trip to Paris and London really cemented our travel companion relationship with one another.  First and foremost, he is the person I want to see the world with and we’ve come to a very good routine together while traveling, both domestically and abroad.

We’re very lucky that we compliment each other really well when we travel.  We have a way of doing things that works well with how the other envisions our trips, so it seems to work out well in our destinations for the most part.  Of course there are have been many moments of frustration with each other all over the world and while I won’t get into the details of those situations, there have definitely been lessons learned over the years while traveling with each other.

Traveling with someone you love tests you, it presents you with challenges to overcome.  You’re in a foreign place trying to figure it out and adding another person into the equation can be difficult at times.  But in the end, traveling with Nick has only added so many amazing moments to our travels.  Having him there has taught me so much, perhaps even more than in our day to day lives with each other.  Traveling has definitely impacted my marriage over the years, in the very best way possible.

1.  There is no better comfort than to have the person you love next to you as you experience new cultures and places that you’re not familiar with.  There have been so many moments while traveling abroad that both Nick and I have no clue what to do or where to go, but we always get through it together.  Traveling with the person you love makes you work with each other, to comfort each other when you’re uncomfortable with your surroundings and in the end, you delve into the unknown together.

2.  It’s a pretty amazing experience to see history together.  I feel so fortunate to share my experiences through the world with my husband.  To stand in the Colosseum together and to experience all those other amazing historical marks in the world and experience it together is a pretty incredible feeling.

3.  There are always going to be obstacles while traveling and Nick and I have definitely had our fair share of nightmare trips, but it’s in those horrible experiences that you learn to overcome whatever obstacle is in front of you together.  Traveling to places that turn out much differently than you’d expected become a puzzle to solve, to put back the pieces and salvage what you can from the trip.  That’s when your partner becomes an even more important companion, because it’s together you must face the obstacles.

4.  Patience is something that I think grows the longer you’ve been with someone.  Nick and I have been together almost a decade and over the years, I’ve definitely become infinitely more patient than I was when we met.  Being with someone, and especially traveling with them, makes your realize how important patience really is.  Patience in visiting the places they want to see, patience in the moments waiting for them to take photos, patience is key.  I’ve learned over the years that by learning to be more patient, it’s brought Nick and I closer.