studentsineurope

Travel: Friends vs Spouses

Thelma and Louise

How many of us would prefer to have a girlfriend on holiday with us compared to a husband or a boyfriend? I have to admit, I hadn’t really thought about it before. I’ve either gone on holiday with friends without my boyfriend for whatever reason – he couldn’t get time off work or it was strictly a girls holiday only – or I’ve gone on holiday with my boyfriend without friends. For me, there really weren’t any issues about who I preferred to go with. I just went.

However today, I was reading an article ”Leave the husband at home: Women admit they’d rather holiday with a friend than with a spouse” on the Daily Mail website, which found out from a survey undertaken by website thelmandlouise.com, that 65 percent of women would prefer to take a girlfriend on holiday than their own husband. I’m guessing boyfriends can also be added to this too.

Which got me thinking. I think more so this year than before, simply because this year I went backpacking through Europe with my boyfriend, so any attempt at having my own space was futile considering  we had to share a tent. And this was our first major holiday away together. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about it. Even if there were moments, when both of us were thinking how it was possible to get rid of the other without leaving any suspecting evidence behind – well, maybe not so drastic as that, but you get the picture.

The survey undertaken by themandlouise.com found that 70 percent of the women admitted that they were more adventurous when they’re single, widowed or divorced than they might have been in a relationship. While others said that they would prefer to have a female friend travelling with them when embarking on an adventure or fulfilling a life-long dream.

Christine Davis, co-founder of the site, which was launched in 2006 said on the matter: ”I’m currently taking part in the Clipper round-the-world sailing race, having never sailed before in my life. Whilst my husband didn’t try to hold me back at all, I simply wouldn’t have contemplated doing something so daring when he was alive!”

During this summers backpacking adventures with my boyfriend, I felt that it was either going to make or break us after all we had gone through – running out of money, sleeping in a park for three nights, sleeping in an airport that was undergoing repairs from 12am – 5am for another three nights, constantly together, the arguments while being weighed down by the small elephants on our backs.

And yet, even though there were moments when I wanted to quit and go home and restart by myself or with friends, I’m glad I didn’t. Sure there were some tense moments along the way, but there were also moments when everything was perfect – the weather (it wasn’t raining), our bags felt lighter (it’s all in the mind, if you think it’s light, yeah…no, it’s still going to be heavy no matter how what), the boat ride we took down the River Rhein, the bed we slept on when we treated ourselves to a hotel or the hot shower – all of which were just some of the things that made the adventure worthwhile and something we could look back on and talk about.

I’m sure it would have been a different adventure had I done it with a girlfriend of mine, but I’m pretty sure there would have been just the same amount of heated discussions along the way, while wishing internally and maybe expressing externally that it was someone else we were travelling with.

However, each person is different and each person wants different things. Not every partner or spouse you’re with is going to want to do the same things as what you want to do when it comes to travelling and as a result you may have to either go by yourself or find a friend to embark on your next adventure.

For me, I’m lucky that I have someone who loves travelling just as much as I do and yet I’m pretty sure that sooner or later, I’ll leave him at home to look after the more boring tasks, while I go galavanting around the world with some of my girlfriends to take in the delights while enjoying a refreshing glass of wine…or two.