You may have read the title of this post and thought it was weird. That’s okay. It got you here! And it’s possible: You can still travel solo—or get the exhilaration if traveling solo—even if you’re not single, traveling with friends, or even taking a trio with family!

Divide and Conquer

My husband and I don’t ever need time away from each other, but sometimes I need to feel some independence. So I go for a run on my own and stop at a bakery or coffee shop on the way back. (He’s happy with hotel room coffee and snacks he swiped from the lounge, he also runs faster than I do.) Or if there’s an activity or museum he’s not interested in, I’ll go on my own and be excited to tell him about it when I get back. 

Once on a trip to Dubrovnik, he was so tired from the flights and jet lag that he wanted to spend a few hours napping in the hotel. But it was my first time there, and we only had a couple of days to explore. So he went back to the hotel and I saw the sights and went to lunch on my own! Neither of us was offended or insecure about it; we just needed different things at that moment. We were both happy with our choices and happy to be back together afterward!

Read next: The Top 7 Skills All Travelers Need

Take a Day Trip

Maybe an exotic, solo getaway isn’t in the cards because you can’t be away overnight for one reason or another, but that doesn’t mean you can’t travel solo! Take a day trip within driving or public transportation distance. I love going into D.C., but most of my friends don’t have flexible jobs or flexibility with family to be able to go in on a random weekday. So I go myself! What’s a place you want to go within an hour’s drive that you’ve never gotten around to? Make a plan and go. Get your solo travel fix without stepping foot on an airplane. 

Read on: The Epic Side Effects of Solo Female Travel

Travel at the Same Time

For years, my husband has had monthly business trips. Sometimes I can go with him, but other times I choose a destination that I can visit while he’s out of town. I’ve been to Nantucket, Block Island, Charleston, Savannah, Mt. Rushmore, New York, Wales, and even Israel while Steve was traveling for business. He takes a business trip, so I take a business trip! If you have the flexibility to do that, go for it! Where there’s a will, there’s a way. 

Keep reading: The Top 7 Ways to Travel Solo with Confidence

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Your spouse isn’t interested in travel at all? You don’t have to also be a homebody to love a homebody. Take a trip. Maybe it’s just a long weekend or only an overnight, but it’ll do the trick. It’s important to have some of the same hobbies and similar interests, but you can still be your own person, too. That’s the person they fell in love with! You’ll miss each other just enough to be happy to see each other when you get back. Remember that feeling when you got to see your significant other only once a week or so for a date? It’s similar to that feeling when you get home and see them again. Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

More here: Why Solo Travel Matters at Every Stage of Life

Talk about It

If your loved one doesn’t understand why you want to travel solo, talk about it. Reassure them that you’re not leaving them, you’re not tired of them, you’re not upset with them. You just need a little adventure, or maybe you just need to remember how it felt to be independent. Come up with a solution with which you can both be on board. 

As an example, I had wanted to go to Egypt for years, but my husband wasn’t interested for a variety of reasons. So when I got an opportunity to go with an all female travel group, I showed him the details and we talked about it. He decided he didn’t want to be away from me that long (10 days), so as long as we could go in winter (to beat the heat), he wanted us to go together. We both agree it’s one of the best trips we’ve ever taken! You never know. They might just decide traveling’s not so bad if it means they get to be with you. 

Related: Where to Travel According to Your Love Language

Want more? Check out my dedicated Solo Travel Page!

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