Love and travel- Its complicated!

I remember the first time I tasted sharp Swiss cheese in Switzerland. When I grimaced in aversion, my family laughed at my expression of disgust. That shared holiday experience is remembered by all even today.

Vacationing with your loved ones enhances the whole experience. Rifling through the pages of an album, you see pictures of lovers holding hands, children playing in the sand, and friends biking adventures. Old photographs fill our hearts with wonderful memories.

The experiences can be romantic, fun-filled, and brimming with great adventures. On the flip side, they could be challenging, unpredictable, and wrought with disagreements and anger.

Often, the divergent life schedule of a working couple erodes their relationship. My friend and her husband had such busy professional lives that the emotional and physical distance was tearing them apart. I suggested they take a well-deserved break to Bali sans the children. As one would expect, it worked wonders. They returned beaming with happiness and I was delighted to see them holding hands during a dinner party later. A relationship comes alive when you spend quality time together in some romantic and isolated destination, free from all responsibilities.

If you don't have a traveling companion, no need to despair. You can travel all by yourself. Discovering oneself can also be a rewarding experience. Take a camera, pack some books, and travel to those destinations that interest only you. You wouldn't need to plan your day according to someone else's preferences or schedules. This solitude and the personal journey can be as enjoyable and meaningful as traveling with others.

Unattached people, who travel alone, could meet their mates on these holidays. One of my BFFs, traveling solo to China, met her future paramour in a hotel in Shanghai. She would never have guessed that a chance encounter in the hotel bookshop could lead to a long-term romance. Surprisingly fluent in Mandarin, he was also a gourmet and became an interesting companion for the remainder of the journey. Now they share a passionate and loving relationship, all thanks to her solitary trip to China.

Beware! High expectations are so ramped up for a perfect holiday that stress levels go up and the stage is set for confrontations. Compatibility issues spill out over maps and driving directions. Disagreements over favorite restaurants neutralize the taste of mouth-watering local delicacies. Couples grappling with an already deteriorating relationship might damage it even further if they go on a vacation together.

Although a romantic getaway is a fantasy for a dizzy new duo, it also reveals one's personality and gentility (or lack of it) under difficult circumstances. This is a great opportunity to observe your partner's behavior.

When provoked, does he treat everyone around him with respect or is he contemptuous and rude towards the hotel employees? Does she lose her composure when she's stressed or is she good-humored and relaxed through difficult situations? A trip is, in fact, the litmus test for a future marriage or a long-term relationship. Haven't we seen the all too familiar sight of sulking honeymooning couples sitting across the candle-lit dinner table, barely speaking to one another?

Nevertheless, a holiday with one's significant other is highly recommended. If misunderstandings are ironed out, then the vacation can be meaningful and memorable. If tastes differ, one could learn to enjoy a totally different and unfamiliar experience.

For instance, during a holiday in Phuket, my husband preferred to sunbathe and I wanted to enjoy the day doing water sports. He joined me and, to this day, he enjoys snorkeling with me and I, occasionally, enjoy sun worshipping with him.

Strengthen your relationships; learn from each other; bond as a family; get closer to friends and rediscover yourself through your journeys cause some of the most delightful memories are woven out of travel. Shared experiences, bitter or sweet, make the expedition all the more thrilling and beautiful.