Good morning Dinks. I am planning my next vacation and it’s going to be totally awesome, if I do say so myself. This October I am going to spend 9 days travelling around the East coast, starting with 4 days in New York where I’m going to meet up with my girl Athena @According to Athena. Then I am spending 2 days in Philadelphia and ending up with 3 days in Washington, DC. I am super excited because I have never been to Philadelphia or Washington. What’s the best part of my vacation? I’m doing it all on my own.
Traveling alone doesn’t mean your relationship is in trouble
My boyfriend Nick decided not to embark on my Amtrak adventure so I am going to do it alone, and surprisingly I am OK with it. I actually travel along quite often and whenever I tell friends or coworkers their reaction is always the same – Why do you do that? I would never travel alone. Last year I went to New York City, Denver and Las Vegas alone – and I had a great time.
I know that the whole point of being in a couple is to have someone to spend your life with. But what happens when that person doesn’t share your passion for travelling and what happens when that person doesn’t want to do the things that you want to? In my opinion it’s better to do things alone than not do them at all.
The truth is that I actually like travelling by myself and my reason is totally selfish – I can keep the hotel room at the temperature that makes me comfortable (which is usually really hot) and I can see everything on my list. I like travelling alone because it’s a feeling of personal freedom the disadvantage though, is that sometimes it’s cheaper to travel as a couple. Everything is about me and sometimes that is a really great feeling – even when you are in a couple.
The cons of traveling alone
There is always safety in numbers. Exploring the city alone can be fun because there is no drama among travellers and when you travel alone you are sure to see everything on your to do list. But travelling alone can also be a little terrifying, especially sleeping alone in a hotel room. I have had a few scary nights, but at the same time I can watch TV and eat in bed without worrying about anyone else.
There is no one to share your experience with. There have been a few times that I had a great experience that I wish I could have shared with my boyfriend, but then I remind myself that it was his choice not to come along on the vacation. I saw Mary Poppins on Broadway in NYC and it was great, but I wish I had someone to talk to during the intermission.
The cost of travelling alone can be expensive. This is probably the biggest downside of travelling alone. Travel expenses can quickly add up when you are just a party of one. But then again, I can eat when and where I want to and if I want to skip a meal all together it’s ok because I am by myself. The cost of physically travelling doesn’t change when traveling with your spouse – actually it’s more expensive because we now have two flights to purchase. But sometimes it would be nice to split the cost of a hotel room with someone.
Do you travel without your spouse?
Photo by zoetnel
Kristina Tahnyak
Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.
We’re pretty much partners in everything, and that includes traveling, outside of a guys or gals trip here or there.
Shared experiences are worth so much more to me.
I’ve traveled without my spouse, but never alone. There have always been friends with me to help split the cost thankfully!
I think it’s dangerous for your relationship if you spend ALL of your time with your spouse, and rely on them for everything. You can’t expect one person to be everything that you need in a relationship – that’s why you have yourself and friends and family! My partner doesn’t want to travel to all of the same places I do, so I go by myself or with friends because I still want to see them.
I travel with my hubby and without him. In fact, we’re going on a 5 day cruise in a couple of weeks with a friend and a few family members. Even when hubby decides to stay home, I generally am never completely alone once I arrive at destinations though. For example, I fly to other cities 2-3 times a year to visit blogging buddies without my husband since he isn’t interested in talking about blogging and online stuff for days straight, lol. But I am only alone on the flight part of the trip.
Overall, I am a fan of having a good time. I prefer to do that with my husband if possible, but if he’s not interested, then why force it? I can have fun by myself too. :-) That applies to all sorts of stuff, not just travel. We have a couple of hobbies like board gaming that we enjoy together and a few that we enjoy away from each other (like his love for watching NFL games and my volunteer work).
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