Can You Solo Travel While in a Relationship?

Travelling solo is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you’ve already tried it, then you know how liberating it is. Solo travel gives you the freedom to explore at your own pace and make decisions without worrying about anyone else. You’re open to connecting and making friends with people you may not have paid attention to if you were traveling with others. It’s the ultimate confidence boost because you realize what you’re capable of; and that begins as soon as you book that flight. When you travel solo, you are in charge of organizing the fine travel details and pushing yourself throughout your journey. You become street smart and resourceful when you only have yourself to get through challenging travel situations. You’re more understanding of your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. You get to know yourself on a deeper level and understand how badass you really are. Solo travel is self care. It is an opportunity for personal growth. There’s no way you can’t learn and grow after a solo adventure.

Can You Solo Travel While in a Relationship

Now what happens when you meet that special someone?

Do your days of solo travel come to an end?

Absolutly not! From someone who has been in a committed relationship with the same person for 15 years (yes, Siya and I are high school sweethearts), I’m here to tell you that YES, you can still travel solo while in a relationship. In fact, I highly encourage that you do.

If I calculate the amount of solo travel I’ve done while with Siya, it would tally well over a year. Add another four years of living two hours apart from each other, and we’ve become experts at long distance relationships.

Solo travel while in a relationship has made us a stronger couple.

Time apart is essential for personal growth. Solo travel has given Siya and I the freedom to pursue things independently and create individual experiences. Not only does this “me” time feed our independence, it makes us more desirable and interesting to each other. I love when we’ve come back together after being apart to share what we’ve done and how we’ve learned. You don’t get this opportunity when you’re with someone 24/7.

Just because you’re a couple doesn’t mean you need to do everything together.

Siya and I have allowed each other to embrace our own freedom without the “restrictions” society might say come with a relationship.  The truth is, there are no rules and no one should prevent you from fulfilling a dream or restrict your from embracing your own independence.  The worst excuse I’ve heard for not doing something you want is because one partner isn’t interested in doing it too. Holding yourself back because of others, even your partner, will only lead to resentment. Go out there and do you boo boo!

Muir Woods National Park in San Francisco

Fear of losing your partner is legit, but just as pick pocketing can happening in your own backyard, so can finding a new love.

There are two big reasons why Siya and I have stayed together (and continue to fall more in love with each other) for so long:

Reason #1 – We communicate… everything…all of the time…no matter what we are feeling.

Reason #2 – We never hold each other back from fulfilling a dream. Instead, we support each other wholeheartedly even when that dream doesn’t involve the other.

As long as you communicate, trust and support each other, I believe you can get through anything, including a solo trip.

Travel changes you, especially when you do it alone. The solo adventures I’ve had around the world have been a big part of shaping the person I am. They’ve challenged me to be more social with people. Many of my greatest friends were made while traveling by myself. For someone who is very indecisive, solo travel has forced me to make decisions I would’ve immediately made someone else make for me. It’s taken me out of my comfort zone countless times, and those experiences are the ones that have become my favourite travel memories. It’s made me comfortable eating alone in restaurants and given me a lot of self reflection time without interruption. The reasons why solo travel rocks are endless, but I talk more about them in this post/video. Solo travel has also been even more important since I’ve become a mom… who is still breastfeeding. Yes, it’s possible to solo travel after having a baby mamas!

Sea lions in Galapagos

If you’re still on the fence about solo travel while in a relationship, ask yourself:

Why must everything change when we are in a relationship? Why must we do EVERYTHING together?

Based on my own personal experience, I believe that keeping your own independence is essential in maintaining a long, strong, and healthy relationship.  There’s that saying that once you find your “other half,” that will be it!  I, however, believe that two wholes are more powerful than two halves. Once you find that other whole who you’d be fine living without, but would much rather live with, is when you have struck gold.

For more on solo travel while in a relationship, watch this video:

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