By MOOK Scenic Spots / Kumiko
Taiwanese people travel abroad frequently, and the age at which they embark on solo or friend-group independent trips is getting younger every year. Naturally, the opportunities and frequency of couples traveling together have also increased significantly. For many, traveling abroad is seen as a small milestone in a relationship. During the trip, there are many things that require communication and coordination, and it’s through these scenarios—different from everyday life—that surprising truths are more likely to come to light.
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Traveling abroad can help couples get to know each other better. (Photo / monster_leila)
1. Why Is Your Hygiene So Bad?
It’s generally believed that women are cleaner than men, but in reality, it’s not uncommon to hear boyfriends complaining about their girlfriends’ poor hygiene habits. Especially during trips, some guys are horrified and disgusted to find their girlfriends’ bathrooms covered in hair, scattered all over the sink, or toilets left uncleaned after use, with underwear hanging around haphazardly—all of which can be a major turn-off for some men.
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Hsinchu Harp Bridge. (Photo / pierrehuang)
2. Huge Differences in Money Mindsets
When you’re traveling together for several days, you’re also spending money together for those days. Just booking flights and accommodations is already a test, and then there are daily expenses like meals, transportation, and entrance fees. If one person takes the lead (or one person pays for everything) while the other goes along, there might not be too much of a problem at first. But if every expense leads to one person thinking it’s fine, another thinking it’s too expensive, one believing you should splurge while abroad, and another insisting it’s better to save money—then this trip is bound to highlight a huge gap in financial attitudes.
3. Can’t Stop Thinking About Designer Bags
There are plenty of stories about female travelers going abroad just to reward themselves with a luxury purchase. Whether it’s because shopping in Europe is a better deal or outlet malls offer more value, their main focus is always on buying some high-end item. They’re not very interested in the itinerary or concerned about their partner’s experience, with their entire attention fixed on shopping. Some even openly expect their boyfriends to foot the bill, leaving many men feeling pressured to spend money they hadn’t planned for—and silently deducting points from their girlfriends’ scores.
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Breathtaking view of Bangkok’s Golden Mount Temple, especially from this angle. (Photo / shengkai_travel)
4. Sleeping in Until Noon
Traveling is also a big test of time management and planning. If two people have mismatched concepts of time, there will inevitably be discrepancies in how they manage and make use of their time during the trip. For example, many men think that going abroad is all about relaxing—they just want to stay in the hotel, sleep in, and slowly enjoy the resort facilities. Meanwhile, their girlfriends feel it’s important to make the most of the time by experiencing the local sights and cuisine. In other words, the two have different priorities when it comes to how time should be allocated during the trip. While it’s possible they’ll coexist peacefully, it can easily turn into each doing their own thing—defeating the purpose of traveling together.
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