The author says she travels almost monthly without her husband, who doesn't have as much flexibility with where he works. She says trips like this one to Scotland help her be a better partner when she returns home.
Courtesy of Anna Cook.
One week after my first date with my now-husband, I left for a five-week trip to Europe. He found out right off the bat that travel was a big part of who I am.We took many weekend trips together, but a few years after we got married, I started a travel media company and could suddenly work from anywhere.My husband works a typical 9-to-5 job as a project manager in the construction industry. He gets three weeks of vacation per year, and since I'm traveling at least once per month, he can't always go with me.While this lifestyle has its own challenges, there have been some unexpected benefits to our relationship.Filling my cup helps me show up as a better spouseYou've probably heard the saying, "You can't pour from an empty cup." Well, travel fills my cup as nothing else does. As long as I don't overcommit my travel schedule, which is a whole other story.I come home from a trip excited, with many stories to tell, and ready to tackle the daily grind of home routines. Both my husband's and my top love language is acts of service, so running my own business in an industry that I love gives me the flexibility and desire to show up in ways that matter to our relationship.Sometimes that looks like happily taking care of regular chores, from cooking and cleaning to making sure the coffee is ready each morning. Other times, it's something special like taking days off in December to hand-make Christmas gifts for his family.
