Your first trip may just be your last.
While many couples dream of a romantic rendezvous, the first trip together is the ultimate relationship test — and all too often becomes a dating disaster.
Half of all couples shockingly break up after their first joint jaunt, according to a recent report from Dating.com.
“A couple’s first trip together is a major relationship milestone, whether it happens in your first six months of dating or on your honeymoon,” Maria Sullivan, vice president and dating expert of Dating.com, said in a statement.
“Spending several hours with someone isn’t the same as spending several days with them, and even spending weekends together isn’t the same as spending several weeks together.”
No matter how long you’ve been dating or how often you’re together, you’re more than likely to discover something new about your partner’s habits.
And, unfortunately, many don’t love what they learn.
For instance, an alarming 31% of couples have ended their relationships after consistently being woken up too early during a getaway.
And while a snooze and a snuggle could save your relationship, they may not if they collide with hunger pains. About 38% of people admitted they decided to break up after their partner repeatedly made them late for dinner reservations.
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But the worst relationship deal-breaker hits a little closer to home.
Sharing a bathroom with a lover often leads to anxiety, but the real reasons why it stinks aren’t what you would think.
Nearly 40% of respondents said that seeing their partner leave toothpaste smeared in the sink and forget to replace the toilet paper while on vacation can flush romance down the drain.
However, traveling with a partner doesn’t just give you insights into how they treat you. It can also expose how they treat others amid stress.
Seeing their partner snap at a flight attendant, tour guide or waiter has caused 31% of those surveyed to break off a relationship.
Some picky people also found that habits like leaving food out, wearing “outside” clothes on the bed and bad packing skills have pushed them to leave a partner after a trip, but 44% of people said they had major revelations about their compatibility as a couple.
On the bright side, half of daters return from their first trip with their relationship still intact, according to the study — and their feelings for each other may have grown even stronger.
“Upon your return, it’s possible that you decide to split up,” Sullivan said. “But it’s also possible that you are still a couple and love each other even more than before”
To help newly paired travelers make it through, Sullivan suggests you “plan your itinerary thoroughly and prepare yourself emotionally for either outcome.
“A couples trip is a journey worth taking: in order to get to know your partner better and to learn if you might want to take on life and the world with someone new,” the expert said.
