People say vacations are a pressure cooker for relationships. Is that really true?
The White Lotus,” you know vacations go awry. Over cocktails on the beach, away from the monotony of work and kids, you and your partner might realize what makes you most – or least – compatible.
“You learn some of the nuances or quirks about a person’s personality when you’re traveling with them, for certain,” says Moe Ari Brown, a licensed marriage and family therapist.
Does that mean vacationing together could end a relationship for good?
Vacations can certainly teach us a lot about relationships, experts say, but they don’t necessarily make or break relationships on their own.
‘The White Lotus’ Season 2 finale: Who died? Who cheated? Who stole? And what does it all mean?
What does a vacation tell us about our relationships?
- Different people have different expectations. “Some wish to relax and unwind,” says Laura Petiford, a licensed marriage and family therapist. “Others seek adventure, learning or discovery or a combination of these things.”
- Our partners may have hidden parts of their personalities – but that’s not always nefarious. “Take the new things that you’re learning as information,” Brown says. “But try not to be in judgment of those things.”
- That said, definitely pay attention to your partner’s behavior. “When traveling with a partner, I pay close attention to how they treat workers such as hotel staff, vendors, and tour guides,” says Melody Li, LMFT and founder of Inclusive Therapists. “Their attitude towards people working in service of travelers offer a lot of insight into their values, especially because traveling is a privilege and luxury that many cannot afford.”
What to know about gender-affirming care for transgender and nonbinary communities
The more you know:Does conservative dating app The Right Stuff have the wrong idea? Yes and no.
Are vacations actually a ‘test’ for relationships?
Yes and no.
“The stakes are higher because vacations often involve an investment of time and money and are typically a distance from home putting both parties out of their element in a shared space for a fixed amount of time,” Petiford says. “There are usually significant expectations around vacations. And too often, it is assumed that the other person is on the same page, which can be problematic.”
Wonderful ‘White Lotus’ is back for Season 2, and it’s not a second too soonFor ‘The White Lotus’ cast in scenic Sicily, filming often felt like ‘we were really on vacation’