Couples Trips

Being committed to someone is a lifelong decision. Many couples decide to take the plunge; however, many do not make it. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 41% – 50% of first marriages fail, 60% – 67% of second marriages fail, and 73% – 74% of third marriages fail. The average US marriage lasts eight years, therefore, it is not surprising only approximately 5% of couples reach their 50th wedding anniversary. Personally, I have two family members who have reached such milestones celebrating 55 years and 60 years of wedded matrimony. Pew research indicates 43% of married couples are incredibly happy. Anyone who is married knows a relationship takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and compromise.

This is not my husband and I’s first rodeo as you may say, however, we have been married for 19 years. Like any marriage it is not always easy, however, we have been working hard at our relationship and what we need out of our bond from one another. One of the attributes I bring to our marriage is my love for travel. If you follow my blogs, you will know I have been travelling internationally since I was 14 years old. My first trip at 14 years old was a part of a foreign exchange program to Ajaccio, Corsica. One of the eighteen regions of France, Corsica is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea . It lies southeast of the French mainland, west of the Italian Peninsula, and immediately north of the Italian island of Sardinia.

When I met my husband, he did not have a passport. He did not get a passport until I decided I wanted to do something special for my birthday outside of the country. I literally had to threaten to travel alone for him to apply for his passport.  I did assist him with the process by completing his application, however, he did get his passport photos and make an appointment as part of the passport process.

Ever since my husband and I took our first trip he has been hooked. He enjoys each country we have visited, such as Egypt, Morocco, Ghana, and more. Like millions of others this year we have had to cancel and/or postpone our trip to Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. We were looking forward to the rich experiences we would have had in these east African nations. The pièce de résistance (best part) of the trip would have been five days in Uganda enjoying gorilla trekking and the wildlife safaris. The five days in Uganda would have included:

• Day 1: Embarking on our journey to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
• Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi, finding our gorilla family, and interacting with them in the wild and taking plenty of photos.
• Day 3: Driving to the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese to see 100 species of mammals and about 606 types of birds. In the evening head out for an evening boat cruise on the Kazinga channel.
• Day 4: Going out for a second game drive to see more animals that include lions, leopard, and other game. In the afternoon, chimpanzee trekking experience in Kyambura Gorge.
• Day 5: Driving to Kigali, Rwanda to begin our stay in the “Land of a thousand hills.”

As you can see, we were going to have a fabulous time in eastern Africa in May. We have rescheduled for next summer and look forward to all the experiences we will have talking to the local people, eating local food, learning about the local customs, learning about the history, and all that these countries have to offer.  Since all three countries have designated Swahili as one of their official languages we would be surely saying “Hakuna Matata!”

Many people have relationship goals, so make it a goal to spend time with your significant other and create some lasting memories by travelling. Travelling can be a form of therapy (escape from your daily routine) as it will test the limits of your comfort zone, expand your perspective, you will learn so much more about you and your partner, and build and strengthen your connection. Do not take my word for it, schedule your first adventure or better yet, let Ketour Travel help you with your plans. Let us see if we can change the statistics of marital longevity! I want to be a part of the 50+ club.

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