Travel System

I think you can tell a lot about a couple by how well they travel together. JD and I travel really well together. We always have. We took our first trip to a cabin in the Smoky Mountains with a few other couples. We had only been dating a few months so the excitement of going out of town together was huge. Our next trip was right before we got engaged. We went to the Dominican Republic with my brother and sister in law. Then there was Hawaii and Aruba and several weekend getaways to nearby landmarks and bed and breakfast inns.

These trips really tested what we were made of. Flying out of the country in today's world is no easy feat. Shoes off, emptied pockets, metal detector wands in personal places, shoes on, repeat. And make it to your gate on time. It's enough to test any one's patience, let alone their relationship.

We are both a bit of what I like to call "freakers." We tend to freak out. A lot. What makes us a good traveling team is that we don't freak out about the same things at the same time. JD is a perfectionist. He likes to follow the perfectly plotted route and arrive within minutes of the predicted time. I don't mind a few detours along the way. As long as there aren't any creepy rest stop bathrooms on the detour, I'm good. JD likes to pack the car/luggage like a jigsaw puzzle with the utmost precision. I say just toss it in where it fits. And if it doesn't fit, well then throw it in the back seat. As long as it makes it home, does it really matter where it is located in the car? 

What makes us such a good team when we're on the road? Well, when the pressure is high and stress levels skyrocket, we both kind of know when to shut up and let the other one freak. The calmer one then steps in to assist with some levelheadedness. If I am freaking out over forgetting the baby wipes and Beatrice has a full diaper, JD calmly fishes out a clean diaper and a napkin and we clean up our girl the best we can until we get back to the wipes. When JD is freaking over getting the bazillion bags and totes and golf clubs into the suddenly minuscule trunk, I suggest filling the empty coolers with the toiletry bags. And the front seat. And the floorboards. It's the perfect blend of high-strung urgency and cool placidity. We pick up where the other leaves off. We balance each other out. The perfect ebb and flow.

We work well together. This is reinforced when we're out of town. Maybe it's the excitement of a new place and "making it" on our own. Or maybe we recognize (and respect) each other's weaknesses when we're away from home.                                                                                                                                  
I really like traveling with my husband. It brings out the best and worst in us but we are there together and make it work no matter what the situation looks like. And most importantly, we have a lot of fun together.