We travel to see the sights, try the food and learn the culture. Occasionally, a bit of chemistry, spark and love blossoms in foreign lands. Amy Huang has a look at how a holiday romance will change your travel memories.
Is it wrong to judge my enjoyment of my travels based on how good in bed the local boy I met at the time is?
Travel writer Pico Iyer wrote: “we travel, in essence, to become young fools again — to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more”.
He compares traveling to falling in love but I don’t see why you can’t do both at the same time, and sometimes I can’t help but wonder whether our perception of a place may be affected by whether or not we managed to flirt our way into the local life?
The boys through my travels
Let’s just say, my finest weeks I spent in Germany were when I threw myself into the arms of a charming and very cute boy; during which I got to visit cafes, parks and some of the most enchanting places in the area that weren’t written in the guidebooks; I was able to better my German language and enjoyed being the center of attention.
READ MORE: Sleeping my way around in Rome
Then there was this architect a long time ago that accompanied me on a long haul flight from Kuala Lumpur to Frankfurt. He was very polite, very sweet and very good looking. We chatted about places we’ve been, experiences we’ve had and of course the different architectural designs of airports around the world. On hindsight, he was probably gay, but that is still the best 15 hours of flight time of my traveling life.
Love and travel
If you think about it, a lot of how we feel about a place, traveling or not, have to do with what is happening at the time with our personal relationships.
It might be that your family has been driving you nuts or that you have totally fallen head over heels for those eyes that met your gaze on the weekend; these things can make or break your holiday.
What makes a holiday romance?
A romance doesn’t have to always be emotional or sexual.
Hey, the boys can have a bro-mance without being in love. Two people can get on really well and end up spending a lot of time together, exploring a city together, or trekking the Alps together. You find yourself waking up with a smile every day, have a travel companion to discuss the day’s events and if it all works out in the end, you might even find that special relationship that last for the rest of your life.
READ MORE: Is your other half really your best travel partner?
I am not encouraging you to cheat. For all the single ladies out there, traveling can be a way to take yourselves out there and experience something a little different, and light that spark of fire within you with that romantic someone. For the attached couples, use the journey to relinquish that romance, share an ice cream cone together, get on the merry-go-round together, learn salsa dancing and enjoy that luxury spa bath in your hotel room together. Romance on the road can do wonders.
But hey, I am no relationship expert. I just know when you are emotionally happy and smitten; you will get to experience the world just as happy and smitten. Even if that beautiful French boy did not work out in the end; at least you’ve had that midnight’s kiss under the Eiffel Tower other girls have been dreaming for.
Have you had a holiday romance? Do travel and love go hand in hand? We’re DYING to know! Please share your stories with us in the comments below.
