Travelling with your boyfriend can be brilliant. City breaks, camping weekends... they're both romantic and fun. But backpacking round the world? Forget it. Here are 10 reasons why ditching your boyfriend while backpacking will make you a much happier traveller.
1. The double handbag. "Have you got room for this in your bag, honey?" Every girlfriend rolls their eyes at this. A tidy shoulder bag turns becomes a santa's sack of surplus items from your boyfriend's shorts' pockets. One word: manbag.
2. He spends more money than you. Whether it's on a some big nights out with new backpacker mates or just losing a few pesos here and there from his shorts' pockets, it all adds up. Couples on a joint budget beware.
3. You'll meet twice as many people. Fact.
4. You rarely want to do the same things. Whatever the situation, the chances of you wanting to do the same things and the same time on the same day are minimal. Possibly the greatest source of daily conflict between couples.
5. Conversation is boring. Well, it can be. When you spend all day, every day, with the same person you don't have any stories or fun stuff to tell each other. There are no "guess what?!" times, which can make conversation a bit like hard work sometimes.
6. Jealousy. Don't get me wrong, only a handful of boyfriends are the jealous type. In fact, mine wasn't really at all. But it's a sad fact that when you meet backpacker mates of the opposite sex, being in a relationship can mean you don't get to hang out with your new mate as you would do if you were single.
7. The emotional sponge. You might be loving a place while he might be wishing was anywhere else. A day of travelling bliss can be ruined because you can't ignore the fact that the person you're with is tired, stressed, or unhappy.
8. Those little habits. So he might snore at home sometimes. No big deal. Now change the location to a hotter-than-the-sun guesthouse bedroom complete with broken fan and dubious-looking mosquito net. Those little foibles that are sort of cute at home will have you reaching for the nearest heavy blunt object.
9. Planning. It's rare to find a couple who plan their travel itinerary equally. You'll agree on the key places you want to visit, but it's the girlfriend who'll sort the logistics, the whens, hows and how much.
10. Opportunity for adventure. Lone backpacking girls shouldn't be fearful; solo travel leads to unexpected acts of kindness and spontaneity. Last year I was walking along the road in Uluwatu, Bali, when a car full of gorgeous Kiwi pro surfers and their photographer ask if I'd like to go to the beach to hang out while they did their photoshoot. Those unbelievable 'movie moments' simply don't happen when you're with your boyfriend.
If you're shaking your head in agreement of more than, say, seven of these, then take my advice: go solo. You'll never look back. And hey, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be... right?
Fiona Tulloch is a freelance writer, editor and travel blogger. She gave up her career in publishing in London for a life of sunshine and simplicity in Cambodia.
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