Going on a Trip With Someone You Just Started Dating
You just started dating this lovely woman. You’re both in the heart of the honeymoon stage. Restaurants, cafes, and parks have been your go-to venues for romantic encounters.
But now, you want a bit of excitement. You want to take your relationship a notch higher. And what better way to do that than a weekend getaway together?
Going on a trip with someone you just started dating serves many purposes.
You can discover a lot about a person when on a vacation. How will she react to inconveniences, delays, and small emergencies? How does she treat hotel and restaurant staff? And most importantly, how is she as a weekend companion?
Your first weekend excursion can unearth red flags you otherwise would never have found out about.
But remember: all that is secondary to having a great time and building memories that last. So keep your eyes focused.
Travel Tips for Your First Weekend Trip Together
Going on a trip with someone you just started dating is just about as exciting a thing to do as anything. But it’s also likely to have a huge effect on the direction of your relationship. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your trip and ensure a smooth, safe, and enjoyable experience:
Get to know them better.
Go on a date with them as many times as possible before you agree to go on a trip with them. Take note of their behavior and how it changes from day to day. A fifth date should be the minimum requirement for a two-day weekend trip to give you enough time to evaluate each other.
Plan your destination together.
Be transparent with each other. Lay out your plans on where you want to go during the trip to set each other's expectations. Doing so ensures you know where you are going, and you can tell friends and family where you are headed, so they'll know where to find you if you run into problems.
Have an exit plan ready.
Sometimes, things happen that are beyond our control. So make sure that you have an exit plan, especially when you are going to an unfamiliar place. Research the area, and check for possible hotels you can stay in case a reservation goes wrong.
But what happens if everything goes great—except your partner? What if you get into a huge fight and decide to part ways then and there? It’s food for thought.
It goes without saying that you should bring your best and most positive attitude with you. Don’t let the possibility of something going wrong overwhelm or consume you. Rather, be a boyscout. Expect the best, but prepare for the worst.
Be upfront about intimacy.
Let’s be real, even if it’s your first overnight trip together, you will likely be sharing a room. Things could heat up quickly. So if you are not up for the task, be upfront about sharing a room before the trip to ensure you are on the same page.
You’d think this was common sense or a non-issue. But there are many couples who haven’t been intimate yet and choose their first overnight trip together as the night for their first truly intimate moment.
So talk about it.
Neither of you wants to be caught in an uncomfortable spot.
Talk about documenting your trip on social media or post pictures.
If you do plan on posting your photos on your social media, make sure you get each other’s consent. Remember, you’re still dating and you don’t know if she’s comfortable about making her romantic involvement with you public.
Conversely, she could post a pic with a caption “going on a trip with a guy I like”, and you might not be comfortable with that. Moreso when your friends start messaging you asking about your newfound lovelife.
Some couples who don’t want undue publicity agree to only post pictures of themselves and the scenic views of the places they’re visiting, without their partner in the picture.
Limit your first trip together to at most three days.
Don’t go overboard with your first trip together. Leave room for your next excursion. Cutting the trip short will make you look forward to your next trip, so you can do the things you missed out on the first. A shorter trip also keeps you from feeling antsy and bored of each other when you run out of things to do.
How Soon Is It Okay To Go on the Trip With the Person You Just Started Dating?
The timing of going on a trip with someone you just started dating is a personal decision that depends on the comfort level of both individuals. Some people might feel comfortable going on a trip together soon after starting to date, while others might prefer to wait until they have a stronger connection and better understanding of each other.
In general, it’s a good idea to take things slow and get to know each other well before committing to a trip. Taking it slow can help avoid any misunderstandings or conflicts and ensure that you are both on the same page, especially if it’s your first weekend trip together.
At the same time, going on a trip as early as possible allows you to learn things about each other you normally won’t see on a regular date. Anything and everything that can go wrong during the trip can bring out a person’s true colors and can be used as a deciding factor on whether or not you want to pursue the relationship.
It is also important to consider the practicalities of traveling with someone you just started dating, such as cost, logistics, and compatibility. Planning your first trip together can be a big step in your relationship, especially one that has only just started, and it’s important to be mindful of each other’s needs and expectations.
If you are a woman, don’t always expect the man to pay for the trip, even if he assures you he will. When things go wrong, you don’t want to be caught off guard and left without any means of going back home.
Ultimately, the decision on when to go on a trip with someone you just started seeing is a personal one and should be based on careful consideration and open communication between both individuals.