BY MICCA VANVIELD
As I realize that January is drawing to a close, thoughts of February become prominent. February is celebrated as the month of romance by many. It is a time where we exchange gifts with the special people in our lives with a focus on what we “think” they would want. The importance is set on what we would like to get for them but have we stopped to think for a moment how they would like to receive love?
As a Lifestyle Travel Advisor, I specialize in how couples can use travel to reignite the flame in a relationship. If you’ve ever been in a long-term relationship or marriage, you would have noticed that once you get over the initial honeymoon stages things seem to start to get monotonous. We forget about focusing on that flame we had when we were celebrating us a couple and we start to focus on everything else. Research has shown that when things start to fade in a relationship there are a number of different things that could be done. Feedback from a variety of relationship therapists suggests that planning a getaway together can help to reignite that flame. In fact it’s always at the top of the list.
Often times, more than not, when things seem like they have gotten old you’ve succumbed to a routine. A routine of work, family, bills, stress, etc. This can all take a toll on relationships especially if you are like the majority of our population who have to focus on these areas to get by. As a travel expert I recommend the following to help reignite that fire in a relationship:
Plan weekly/ monthly date nights (this could be anything from sending the kids to grandma’s while the two of you reminisce about your last vacation together as a couple to actually taking a mini vacation at a bed and breakfast nearby).
Hire a maid service to take care of the household chores so that you can actually come home from that vacation and not have to worry about cleaning when you get back.
Attend a retreat or seminar out of town about strengthening relationships (this gets you a vacation and helps with communication).
Simply book a vacation just for the two of you, where all you have to think about is how long I was asleep on my beach chair today.
There are many more benefits to vacationing as a couple. We all need to start somewhere. If taking breaks from the everyday routine was important in the honeymoon stages it should not be ignored throughout the relationship. Find out how your spouse would like to receive love. If they like to travel, you can gift them a trip to Paris for the weekend, plan a spa getaway, order in their favourite food and watch the travel channel together. Whatever you choose to do to celebrate love and no matter the budget you should always make it all about the person receiving the love!
