Seven Reasons I Love Traveling with My Hubby

See the Golden Gate Bridge behind us?

(I think this is the first time I’ve referred to Zachary as my “hubby.” Possibly ever.)

In just over a week, Zachary and I will be hopping a plane to Portland, Oregon, to visit his family for 10 days. Not only am I excited to visit my inlaws and see the Northwest again… but I also get to travel with my husband, which is awesome. Here are seven reasons, in no particular order, why I love traveling with him (and why you would do well to find a travel partner who has some of these qualities):

1. He’s a bit more physically fit and active than I am. I’ve mentioned before that his ridiculous walking pace was one of the first things that made me swoon for him. We’ve had great times hiking all over St. Louis and Portland and experiencing things in a way we never could from a car. If you and your travel partner have vastly dissimilar energy levels, you have to plan ahead to account for the difference.

2. He knows the value of a comfortable silence. If you’re traveling with someone, whether friend or stranger, you’ll get anxious and worn out if you try to carry a conversation all the time. Let silence be comfortable; when you’re traveling, there is a lot to look at and think about anyway.

3. He doesn’t have expensive tastes. Peanut butter sandwiches, couchsurfing, and free/cheap travel attractions are all good with him, which just makes me ridiculously happy.

4. He is a driving beast. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t drive. So when Zachary and I took a road trip from Portland to San Diego to St. Louis— a total of 2,993 miles— he drove every inch of it himself. Yes, I was impressed, too.

He drives, I make faces at the camera. It works.

5. He’s selfless in his decison-making. This doesn’t mean that he never voices an opinion or makes plans: on the contrary, I usually let him have the say on what we’re doing. However, he takes me into consideration and is always willing to listen to my ideas. (Have you noticed that a lot of what makes someone a good travel partner also makes them a good spouse?) Related to that…

6. He doesn’t mind spontaneity. This is key to traveling, especially with another person. Not only can plans fall through, but new plans can come up that interfere with your old ones. Zachary is willing to change directions on a dime if needs be, which I really appreciate. 

7. He buys me ice cream. If you can find a travel partner who will do this for you, you pretty much have it made.