It is so important to meet like-minded couples who you can connect with and learn from. No relationship is perfect and getting inspired by other couples can be the best way to expand your horizons and discover new and amazing things together.

I am the kind of person who enjoys traveling alone, but having a husband along for the ride has been rewarding. We got to enjoy Valentine’s Day in India, and I thought I would make a tribute to why traveling with your long-term partner is especially awesome.

You Like Each Other: Traveling with someone that you don’t know very well for the sake of not being alone is not always the best idea. Like it or not, the person you travel with has a huge influence on your experience. I love traveling with my husband because we enjoy spending lots and lots of time together no matter what we are doing and don’t get bored of each other. This comes in handy when you are on planes for four days in a row, waiting for no-show trains, or eating hundreds of meals together.

You Grow Together: Travel changes people, which is part of the magic of going abroad. One of the benefits of traveling with your partner is that you can grow together through the experiences you share instead of apart. Travel is packed with unforeseen challenges, stress, and struggles. How you get through them can be a lesson that strengthens your long-term relationship.

He’s A Support System Who Knows You: I love traveling with my husband because he knows me well. He knows my hopes, goals, dreams, weaknesses, and depression spells. Because he knows me so well, he can encourage me and support me holistically through the craziness of being on the road.

You’re 100% Comfortable With Each Other: It’s nice to be able to tell the person you travel with you are tired, angry, or have diarrhea without any tip-toeing. Traveling with someone else is an intimate experience, and sometimes you feel like you are at your worst. I love traveling with my partner without worrying about how I look, how I feel, or dreading a confrontation. We are comfortable being totally open and honest with each other.

It’s Cheaper: What many people don’t realize is that traveling with a companion is usually cheaper than traveling alone. I save lots of money by sharing rooms and meals with my husband. The more we save, the longer we get to travel.

He’ll Eat Your Unwanted Food: I can be a picky eater at times, which is always awkward on the road when a local is offering some fried bugs or stews made from house rodents. Having my husband around to sample the strange foods or finish the fish head on my plate has been a lifesaver (or at least a gag reflex saver). That’s love.

It’s Culturally Easier to Stay Together: In many developing countries we travel to there are a fair amount of taboos around couples staying together who are not married. Unfortunately, some countries are outright hostile about it. Being married makes it easier to stay together without judgment or stigma.

You Can Fight Securely: Tensions arise when you travel because the stakes are high. I love traveling with my partner because I know we can respectfully bicker and argue without him threatening to leave, even when ridiculous and horrible things are happening... like getting deported or missing a flight. Because we are married, we are more secure in arguments and confrontations. We are both in it together, so we work through conflict rather than throwing our hands in the air and deciding the other person isn’t right for us. That is an extra stress we don’t have to worry about.

Share the Experience: As much as I love traveling alone, I will never forget how sad I was visiting the fields around the Stonehenge in England without someone to share it with. I love having my husband with me because I’ll never have to explain the stories about the crazy things that happened, the brilliant sights I saw, or the amazing people I met because he was part of the lived experience. This strengthens our relationship and will give us something to talk about for the years to come.

Be sure to check out more of Rachels work at www.deliberatewanderer.com.