RVing with Your Significant Other

It’s not uncommon for new full time RVers to wonder what they got themselves into once they hit the road and run into their first relationship speed bump. Traveling with your significant other should bring you closer together and increase your overall life satisfaction. It's been said that the #1 determining factor of a person’s happiness is the quality of the relationship with their significant other. If that’s true, than it makes sense that we should be intentional in how we manage that aspect of our lives.

Here are a few tips on ways to successfully travel in a RV with your significant other:

Communicate
Communication is the key to any relationship. When you’re living in a small space, it’s even more critical. Everyone has their moments, moods, hormones. When you know you’re feeling stressed or just need some time, let your partner know. Most people don’t mind accommodating others, but they hate surprises. It's often easier to know someone is in a bad mood and prepare to diffuse the situation rather than be thrown off and react.

Camper Tip: Just relax. Most likely there were things you thought were the end of your world 10 years ago and they ended up being a small blip on the bigger picture of your life.

Handle Your Responsibilities
When you don’t handle your top responsibilities (financial, health, family, etc.), they have consequences that put strain on your relationships. Build good habits and get things done. It’s amazing how much you can get done when you have good work ethic and grind it out.

Camper Tip: Get to it early in the day and grind it out. Once the "work" is done, you can fully enjoy the rest of your day!

Choose the RV That’s Best for the Family
Depending on what type of RV you have, the type of experience will vary greatly. You may find that your Type C is a little tight for you to live and work. Not having a separate work space means that your spouse has to tip toe around while you worked. Maybe when you upgrade to a 5th wheel and put your office in the toy hauler room, it can instantly make things easier on your relationship.

Camper Tip: You can get a good grasp on what’s going to work best for you through online blogs and YouTube Videos. Next step is to go touch and feel the RV at the dealership.

Explore the Campground
There’s a good chance that wherever you park, you’ll find something unique. With camping, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure story and you’re the star! Great campgrounds don’t need to be expensive. Do your research and find the campgrounds that fit the experience you’re trying to enjoy.

Camper Tip: Walk or bike around the campground or area together each available evening. You’d be surprised at the deep conversations that come up while simply walking around.

Have Goals
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Hellen Keller

Don’t let life pass you by. We’ve all been preached to about goals and how important they are. That’s because it’s true, they are so powerful! Brainstorm big lists of things you want to experience and places you want to go. On a micro scale, each time you visit a new area, dive in extensively on the online research. You can pretty quickly find the hot spots and even the local spots if you're looking for a non-touristy experience.

Camper Tip: For finding new adventures, online research like a Google search is the way to go. Another fantastic resource is when you get to an area, ask a few locals for the must see spots! Work your goals into your date nights and in your time by yourself.

Spend Time Together
There’s a difference between being around each other while you’re going through life and intentionally spending quality time with the person you love. It’s easy to get caught up in daily routines and not give your best friend the quality interaction they deserve. Be intentional about your time. Meet each other’s needs. Date nights are fantastic.

Camper Tip: A fun way to approach date night is to take turns picking the adventure! Set a budget and make a rule that you have to be up for whatever AND with a good attitude!

Spend Time Apart
This might sound counter-intuitive but spending time away from your significant other and doing something you enjoy is healthy for your relationship. When you grow as a person you will also grow your relationship. Explore new interests or hobbies to stimulate the brain and body.

Camper Tip: Rather than cutting into relationship time, look into efficient alternatives. Wake up around sunrise and go hiking, biking, surfing, etc. That way you're back before anyone else is up and done with their morning routine. You may need to cut into some sleep time to make this happen, but its well worth it.