They say that opposites attract, but having little in common with your romantic partner can make your life together a little complicated. Take going on vacation, for example. What to do if your perfect getaway is a bare-bones camping trip in the wilderness, while his idea of “roughing it” is staying in a hotel without room service? A vacation conundrum indeed!
We’ve donned our thinking caps to come up with a few suggestions for couples that are mismatched when it comes to getting away from it all! Read on for inspired ideas for your next vacation.
Take Two Vacations in One
Rather than planning one long vacation that fulfils one partner’s desires and leaves the other grumbling and resentful, why not split up your time away into two back-to-back mini-trips?
Spend the first few days camping — car camping is probably your best bet here, since you’ll probably have a fair amount of luggage — then check into a hotel where he can wash off all the dirt and recover from sleeping on the cold, hard ground by crawling into a soft, plush bed with chocolates on the pillow. Chances are the luxury will feel pretty darn good to you after all that outdoorsy adventure, too!
With this solution, having something to look forward to will help your partner deal with the first few rough-and-tumble days.
Look into Luxe Camping Options
If your sweetie shrieks in fear at the slightest snap of a branch, is truly freaked out by wild critters, or can’t handle doing his daily ablutions al-fresco, backwoods camping is probably not going to happen for the two of you.
You might be able to compromise, however. Could you sweeten the camping deal by investing in some super high-end supplies? A top-of-the-line tent, a portable toilet, a comfortable air mattress and some decadent bedding — these could make the great outdoors hospitable enough to satisfy the most hardcore city slicker.
Glamping is another great option, especially if you choose a location that has easy access to relatively wild terrain. You can get out into the fresh air, explore, work up a sweat, and commune with nature. He gets to stay behind and enjoy the wi-fi, flat-screen TVs, onsite massages, and gourmet cuisine — or just lounge around in an actual bed all day and read while noshing on bonbons. It’s the best of both worlds!
Ideally, you each might discover that the other partner’s point of view holds some merit. You could learn that a camping trip is actually more enjoyable if you got a decent night’s sleep thanks to mosquito netting and a real mattress; he might find that a gentle hike or horseback ride is much more palatable if there’s a delicious, hot meal — one that doesn’t taste like burnt embers and sadness — waiting back at camp.
Bring Along a Fifth Wheel
When one partner wants to head to the nearest state park with a backpack and some granola bars, but the other has visions of faraway tropical resorts or five-star accommodations dancing in his head, think about a happy medium. A motorhome, RV, or camper is an ideal in-between vacation.
With a fifth-wheel RV or camper, you can bring along all the comforts of home. (Or, depending on your budget, even more comforts than the average home could ever dream of!) Yet you get to head out onto the open highway, virtually eliminating travel hassles and slashing your travel costs — and stop wherever you like. That means you could visit a primitive forest or isolated lake one day, then do some retail therapy on Rodeo Drive the next.
Your high-maintenance honey probably wouldn’t take kindly to being stranded in the middle of I-90, though, so do yourselves a favour and look into a fifth wheel extended warranty before you set out on your Great American road trip.
Go It Alone
Granted, this last resort is probably the least romantic way for a couple to go on vacation since you’re not going as a couple at all. But hear us out: if you two are really mismatched in terms of travelling, taking separate trips could strengthen your relationship.
You can have your annual hunting cabin campout with the guys, while he can enjoy a luxury cruise or beachside condo. Both of you will return feeling refreshed and energized, rather than grouchy, irritable, and possibly not even speaking to one another.
A Few Last Words
Unless disagreement over how and where to vacation is actually threatening the health of your relationship, it’s best to take a few deep breaths and remember that this issue is the epitome of a first-world problem. Then get creative and start brainstorming, or see if one of the above compromises might be just the ticket!
Failing that, simply remind them that glamping is the new romantic break for celebrities… and if it’s right for them… (you get the point).
Do you and your spouse have vastly different notions of what a getaway should be like?
How do you bridge the gap?
Have you found any ideal destinations, modes of travel, or accommodations that work for both of you?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
