Preparing for that first vacation is a stressful affair, but it need not send you into a panic if you know how to deal with it and what to pack. Both women and men suffer agonies when faced with the prospect of handling a first vacation, even if it is with the object of their dreams. Here are some tips to help you plan that first vacation date when your relationship is new:
How to approach the vacation
The answer is to look upon the venture as a holiday with a good friend, which is what it really is. Make up your mind to try to ignore all the romantic stuff for the purposes of preparation and pack as if you are going away with a long term friend. Take the pressure off your mind. It’ll make it a lot easier to plan.
How to pack for the vacation
Depending on the climate, you will want to make some sensible choices regarding wardrobe but also make sure you have included things like any regular medication you might have to take: there is nothing worse than having to race around a collection of pharmacies on the first day because you forgot your pills. Try not to take piles and piles of baggage with you on vacation. It is so tempting to try to cover all eventualities and take enough clothes to keep you going in the event of a nuclear war but the truth is that holiday clothing is versatile enough to travel light and that is the best thing to do to avoid aggravating your companion and making them wish they had not invited you along with your mountain of Louis Vuitton luggage.
Remembering to bring stuff to keep your mind occupied
Try to remember you are on vacation and although you will have romantic company, there will times when you will have to entertain yourself. If you usually take reading material on holiday, then do so this time too but don’t make the assumption that your companion will also want to read, so be flexible.
Being honest about your travel skills
If you are on a driving vacation and you are a rotten navigator, come clean immediately and say so rather than come up with the remark, “Me? Read maps? Don’t be silly, of course I read maps…” and then land yourself and your partner somewhere slightly south of Greenland while trying to find Florida… Honesty is a great salve for inconvenience and even if you are useless at certain skills, you can laugh about it and move on. If you really cannot sail or fly, be emphatic about it and don’t try to tolerate something you know you cannot for the sake of not spoiling his or her holiday. Be up front and straight about what you find acceptable and what you know you cannot do. Going on a cruise when you are terrified of the sea and you know you are going to spend the entire trip in your cabin with your face buried in a pillow will only ruin the other person’s experience and make them understandably furious with you. Remember to try to take an interest in the things your date wants to do. The galleries and museums might be your passion but they might bore your partner senseless. Give and take is the best way to go.
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