Having a job that allows you and your partner to travel the country and constantly explore new places together is a unique opportunity that very few get to experience. From the outside looking in, it may seem things come easy when your relationship is filled with new places and new adventures every three months. However, just like any other relationship, it takes work and lots of attention to keep the fire going strong. If you live the busy and always changing lifestyle of a travel nurse but want to keep your relationship strong and special, these tips are for you!
Learn each other’s love language:
The five love languages are words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, receiving gifts, and physical touch. When you understand which love language makes your partner feel the most connected in your relationship, you can adjust your actions to show them you care, which in turn makes them feel seen and reassured.
Try new things together:
Trying at least one thing on an assignment that neither of you has ever done before allows you to share a new and unique experience and support each other along the way. One of the biggest perks of travel nursing is that it takes you to different parts of the country where you are constantly seeing new cities, hobbies, cultures, and terrains. While you are in the area, take full advantage of the opportunities you can share with your person.
A few fun ideas for your next adventure: try a new winter sport, visit a new city and share cuisine that is unique to that area, go horseback riding at sunset, take a backpacking trip together, check off a new national park, rent an ATV or 4WD vehicle and take a dirt road to a less-traveled area.
Communicate:
This is hands down the most important aspect to having a strong and healthy relationship while traveling. Learning to communicate with your significant other effectively can completely transform your relationship and will keep small things that can quickly turn into big things to a minimum. Something that often causes arguments is not addressing problems or concerns as they arise, which can quickly turn into larger frustrations—communicating these frustrations as soon as you feel them can help resolve conflict before it grows into a much bigger issue. Communication does not come easily to everyone, so be patient and understanding of each other and be aware of each other’s communication styles.
Don’t forget about date nights:
Travel nursing can sometimes feel like one big adventure, and it can be easy to forget about the small little moments in between. Find time to schedule a date night at least once every two weeks to spend quality time together without any distractions.
Share responsibilities and chores:
Split up the work of doing chores so that one person doesn’t feel overwhelmed and overworked. A relationship requires 50/50 effort in every aspect, so dividing tasks like washing dishes, doing laundry, etc., helps to reduce frustration and builds teamwork.
Take turns with decision making and planning:
Instead of one person making all of the decisions, take turns with planning things like what hike you’re going to do, where to spend your days off, and where to eat for dinner. Not only does this help decrease decision fatigue for one person, but it also gives each of you the opportunity to do things you enjoy on your days off.
We hope you enjoyed this article on tips to keep your relationship strong and special as a travel nurse from Meg and Ty. Are you a travel nurse couple who would like to share their story? Comment below.
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