During our recent road trip to Chennai & back, we spoke about a range of things, one of which was the whole travelling together & how it is the biggest & best test for any relationship. Infact,  the very 1st time we met, we rented a car & did a mini road trip of sorts, apart from spending a week together. It taught us a lot about each other, including how compatible we were as a couple and if we could survive long distance relationship before taking it further. Now that we are living together, it has been a fun journey, yes there are bumps and potholes along the way, but we are learning to manoeuvre and deal with all of them as we encounter them. In this blog post, am going to share my thoughts on why travel is the best test for any relationship and how to make sure that it’s successful. This applies to any kind of relationship - friends, romantic, work colleagues & others...  Here goes... There’s something romantic about the notion of travelling together. You’re both in a new place, living in the moment, and just enjoying each other’s company. But it can also be a great test for any relationship. It can reveal how well you two handle stress and changes if you both understand boundaries, and how well you work as a team. Travelling together is not only an amazing experience, but it can also help strengthen relationships. Travelling together When you travel together, you really get to know someone. You see them at their best and worst, how they handle stress and adversity, and how they treat others. Travel is the ultimate test for any relationship. If you can make it through a tough trip together, you can pretty much make it through anything. The best way to travel is with a sense of adventure and an open mind. Be prepared for anything and everything, and be willing to go with the flow. Things will inevitably go wrong at some point during your travels - that's just part of the experience! - but how you handle those situations will say a lot about your relationship. Of course, travelling together isn't all doom and gloom. You'll also have plenty of opportunities to bond over new experiences, shared laughter, and inside jokes. These are the moments that make travel so special, and they're what you'll remember long after the trip is over.Discovering each other When you travel together, you discover each other in ways you never would at home. You learn how your partner copes with stressful situations, navigates new surroundings, and handle the chaos [if any] along the way. All of this is valuable information that will help you understand your partner on a deeper level. You also have the opportunity to try new things together and bond over shared experiences. Whether it’s exploring a new city, driving an hour out to a restaurant to try something delicious, exploring a vineyard, cooking a meal together, playing a game or simply relaxing in the room, travelling gives you the chance to create memories that will last a lifetime. Of course, travelling isn’t always easy. There will be times when you feel lost, get low on finances, feel exhausted with the endless driving, run out of things to talk about, or have been away long that you just want to go home. But if you can stick it out and support each other through the tough times, it will only make your relationship stronger. I know this for a fact and am sure my partner will agree..  We have done quite a few road trips and travelling together since we began dating, ranging from a day trip to a month+ [both within the country & outside]. And every single day we are away, we are constantly looking for something new to do, keeping a check on spending, and eagerly exploring local cuisine.  Yes, food is one thing we both enjoy & we have been to quite a few hole-in-the-wall places across all destinations we visited.  We have also done a few short trips with Chewy, which involves a lot more pitstops, looking for McDonald's cos he enjoys their chicken nuggets and making sure he is comfortable. This also means the places we stay need to be pet friendly, have some open space for him to roam around in.That said, I have done trips with friends and strangers, in groups and with just one other person... Two trips with one other person did not pan out so well, I felt like I could have done the trip on my own. I have also done a few trips with family where my focus is to get them to enjoy the city we are in.Bottom line is, a relationship is only as strong as the people in it. Travelling together is one of the best ways to test a relationship. You're forced to spend long periods of time together, deal with new and challenging situations, and figure out how to compromise and work together as a team. If you can travel together successfully, you can pretty much handle anything life throws at you. It is a constant wheel of learning and discovering each other... What do you say?