A solo traveller has shared that she’s gone on seven holidays this year without her partner – and says people frequently ask if she feels guilty about it.
Christina Patel, 30, has been with her partner for four and a half years. and in that time, the pair have been on multiple holidays together.
But due to his teaching job, Christina often leaves her partner at home while she jets around the world.
In the last year alone she’s been to Barbados, the USA, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka – and has no plans to curb her vacationing just yet.
Christina, a recruiter, from Ware, Hertfordshire, shares, ‘I love travelling, it’s that feeling of freedom and having different adventures every day.’
‘My partner knew what he was getting himself into – within our first four months of dating I had five trips booked, and one of them was a month-long trip to South America.’
During 2022, the couple embarked on two joint trips, whereas Christina took five solo adventures on her own.
Despite receiving comments about her relationship being ‘unconventional,’ Christina disagrees, emphasising that her partner is actually very understanding.
She says, ‘Sometimes people will say, “Your poor boyfriend is home alone do you not feel guilty having fun without him?”
‘But my partner is a school teacher so we can only go away together in school holidays.
‘I mainly get those comments from the older generation or people who hold really traditional values.’
At the age of 22, Christina visited Southeast Asia, and since then, her wanderlust has never ceased.
In the current year, she has already travelled to seven different countries, none of which have been accompanied by her current partner.
She also admitted she can frequently book a holiday a week before she is due to go.
‘When I tell him I am going away his normal reaction is “ok fair enough,” she says.
‘I think if I was with someone who was not understanding of my love of travelling it just wouldn’t work – I am very lucky.’
Christina shares that she does have a holiday booked in August with her partner, but if it’s not the school holidays she will simply book a last-minute deal.
‘I love meeting new people and trying new foods, and holidays are a combination of all those things. It’s very different from being at home, waking up, going to work, then sleeping.’
She adds, ‘I like the spontaneous lifestyle.’
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Source: Read Full Article