Travelling Costa Rica when the man of my dreams is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

That being said…

Staying sane, while travelling Costa Rica with the man of my dreams, is something else entirely.

Having been married a year, Shaun and I knew that transitioning from seeing each other after work and on weekends, to 24/7, would be an adjustment.

So, without further ado, here are 5 ways to travel long term with a spouse that help keep the trip fun, and the relationship strong.

Cheers!

1-       Take Time For You: Go off, and do something separate from one another. Shaun, and I often find times to do our own things. For him it’s often surfing, or beach walks, for me it’s running, and coffee shop time. This is time to ourselves to help us recharge our batteries.

2-      Try not to be too Gross: This is a tough one. Close quarters, means close contact. Although Shaun, and I are married, and have gotten pretty darn comfortable with each other, we’ve already had some very “overshare” moments. Whether it’s up close and personal with your spouse’s food poisoning, or running out of toilet paper before our early morning shuttle leaves, situations will arise, and things won’t be pretty. So, control the things you can control. For example: closing the bathroom door, not clipping toenails in bed etc… Remember, this is your spouse, not your roomie.

3-      Is it you or is it me: Travel can mean lots of outside stressors, all of which can take a toll. Whenever I find myself annoyed with Shaun, I always take a moment to decide, “Is it him or is it me”. I know I’ve talked about “hanger” alot in the past, but being hungry totally creates a mythical angry beast in me, and often times it creeps up without me even realizing it. So, for myself, I always double check to make sure I’m actually annoyed, and not just needing some peanut butter. (95% of the time, peanut butter fixes it!)

4-      Talk it out: So you’re had your peanut butter, and you’re still frustrated, angry, sad, mad,upset, hurt? Time to talk it out. Travelling is no time for the silent treatment. Close quarters are actually really nice for this. Without the pressure of having to go to work, or school you actually have the time, and the space to really talk about what is going on, and work it out.

5-      Be a couple: Shaun and I try, and have regular date nights during our travels. Nights where we actually both shower, he’ll shave, I’ll put on some mascara, and ta-da we are fancy. Even though we are just going out for dinner, calling it “date night” makes it extra special. Find ways to still feel like a couple, and not just a rag-tag dirty backpacking duo.

So those are our five tips for travelling with a spouse. They’ve worked for us, hope they work you!

Have any tips you wan to share?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress

Pura Vida

Kate

Follow me on Twitter: @caketress