Going away on holiday with your significant other can be some of the best times of your life. Sharing beautiful moments in even more beautiful surroundings seems to be the most romantic and perfect way to show your girl that she’s truly special and really is the one for you. You’ve shelled out on a wonderful holiday to show her how much she means to you, and everything seems perfect – or so you think. There are so many things that can go wrong or that can spoil the whole holiday. Remember, you want to have happy memories of this trip, not for it to be the reason you now don’t talk to each other. Therefore, I have gone through a few of the most common (and easily avoidable) pitfalls facing the young gentleman on a trip of this nature.
“But I didn’t come all this way for that!”
This is a common issue amongst couples who have decided to go away for the first time together. It’s easy to get crossed wires whilst trying to choose the perfect destination; the two of you may have completely different reasons for choosing a location, and this is where the trouble starts.
She may have chosen this destination because she wants romantic strolls on the shore watching the sunset while you confess how strong your love has grown for her over the last [insert how long you have been with girlfriend here]. You however, may have no intention of spending anytime doing this at all, and instead plan to spend most of your time there drinking at the all-inclusive bar and checking out the local strip.
Without the right communication this can lead to tension between the two of you – one person is going to be disappointed that their plans aren’t going to materialise whilst the other will feel resentful at their partner’s moodiness. You don’t want your girlfriend to think you’re ruining her holiday, so make sure you’re both clear on what you want from this holiday, and plan out any activities before you choose and arrive at your dream holiday resort.
“Why do you want to do that?!”
This brings me nicely onto the next issue. What you actually do with your time. Or more specifically, what she is going to want to do with your time. Now, big lesson for you all to learn here, if you don’t already know; Girls like to do boring, lame things, especially on holiday. That’s just a fact of evolution. There’s nothing me, you or anyone else can do to change that.
Now, while men can see that the ride on the gondola is actually going to be really boring, or a day trip to look at some supposedly interestingly shaped rock is going to be incredibly underwhelming, women simply get sucked into the holiday spirit and make irrational decisions. Now this is where the man usually makes a big error; they point out (rightly so, in most cases) that this activity is simply going to waste a good portion of the holiday.
Do not do this.
Simply suck it up and sit through it. That’s all you can do.
Kicking up a fuss over something like this can really create friction between the two of you. So just bite your lip, and go on that day long trek over some old rubble that used to be a fort or something equally dull. There is a very good reason you should do this. It gives her the impression you are very concerned with what she wants to do as well her interests (which you are, aren’t you?!). This earns you boyfriend points, and can be used as leverage when the opportunity to do something you want comes about. So remember, don’t scoff, be appeasing and sit through it ‘til it’s your turn. A lot like many other things in life, really.
“Are we splitting this?”
Now, this is a difficult one to balance right. On a holiday like this, you don’t need to be “the man” and splash outrageous amounts of cash and pay for everything in sight. I mean, you can, if you won’t miss the money, but for the rest of us, don’t feel obliged to empty your wallet on everything.
However, don’t be petty and insist on splitting everything down to the nearest pence. This is where it gets difficult; don’t make it look like you’re being cheap on your dream holiday, but at the same time, don’t go bankrupting yourself. If she spots a nice souvenir gem stone in the local market, then go ahead and treat her (even if it is pointless. And tacky. And overpriced for something about the size of a walnut).
At restaurants, maybe once or twice, pay the whole bill, and split them the rest of the time. If she’s reasonable (I know, asking a lot for some of you) she’ll see this is a nice gesture, and it is only fair she pays a little bit.
If you follow this advice, then I’m sure you’ll have a great time, with minimal sour memories. These are only guidelines, and there is room for slight deviance from the rules, but all in all, stick fairly close to them and you can’t go wrong.
