Towards the middle of December, I found Carl and myself bickering more than usual. From the stress of work to the busyness of home, we found ourselves overwhelmed and annoyed at each other. Nothing we did seemed right and we couldn’t figure out why. The carrots weren’t sliced the right way and the trash wasn’t taken out at the right time. You ask yourself, ‘are we usually like this?’ Fortunately we had a 10 day trip ahead of us to finally relax, and what a difference it made.
I’m sure you’ve heard many times that you don’t really know a person until you’ve traveled with them. We’ve traveled many times together and we’ve always been quite compatible. This trip was just a reminder of how well we work together. Once we got on the plane, we took a breather and left the worries and the chill of Toronto behind us.
Carl once again reverted back to the accommodating boyfriend he has always been. He takes the middle seat so I don’t have to be next to a stranger and lifts my over-packed carry on in the overhead bins with no complaints. I push him to ask for directions and questions so I don’t have to. I make him fill out tedious forms even though we’re both equally as annoyed with doing them. These are all the important little things in every relationship you need to learn to appreciate. I’m sure most men are willing to help lift your carry on in the overhead compartment but I’ve also seen those who don’t.
Our habits compliment each other well too, we’re very relaxed travelers. We find that there’s always a solution and there’s no point in stressing each other out when we’ve missed a train or forgot an item. We have a rough idea of what we want to do but no set schedule because they can always change to accommodate the day. We’re honest in what we want to do and what we don’t want to waste time lining up for. We compromise with each others needs and like in everyday life, those are the things that I believe make for a healthy relationship.
Of course, Carl suffers from a condition known as ‘Hangry’. A combination of hunger that is triggered from his stomach and communicated as anger due to his indecisiveness to choose a restaurant that satisfies his needs…but some things can be overlooked 🙂
So remember: before you commit, travel.
Life Outside the Inbox 