My answer is yes. Seriously, yes. You really need to break up with your boyfriend to go travel. I’m not even kidding you when I say this. I traveled to 17 countries and was in your exact situation before. I skipped a VERY affordable trip to Sydney, Australia because of a two-year relationship with a guy whom I no longer speak with. It’s not just him. Don’t stop travel for anybody! Please continue reading this article all the way through to learn why it’s ok to break up with your partner to go travel.
It’s hard breaking up with someone you love for travel.
Your choice of travel over love isn’t easy. I’m there with you. When I was in your situation, I thought I would regret my choice to travel. I wrote in my diary at the time about it. Sadly, I was doing so much fear-based thinking about my boyfriend never talking to me again if I travel. I was imagining myself being miserable on my vacations because we were on bad terms or something.
But then I was also not happy imagining us staying together. I wasn’t happy imagining having to turn down the cute locals I might meet while abroad. I didn’t want to limit myself in any way for an ex that truly didn’t even fully support me.
How to end a relationship to travel:
The best way to end a relationship for travel is with confidence in your decision and respect. I don’t want to project my experiences onto you, but I do wish I’d have ended my relationship to travel. At the time, there was barely any information on the Internet about this topic. It feels so full circle to now be writing about it, finally having the answers I so craved years ago.
I would tell my younger self to end the relationship like this.
“Hey, Scott… so, I am young still and want to travel the world while I’m young and able. I hope to stay on good terms with you, but this is something I have to do for myself. I care about you, but I have to travel. I know it hurts you for me to leave, so I think it’s best we end our romantic relationship.”
I’d tell my younger self to hop on that darn airplane and head to Sydney, Australia! It was only $1,000 roundtrip from Detroit, Michigan including my accommodation and taxes! INSANE! And I turned it down in favor of my relationship at the time. I truly regret doing that. I also regret going on trips without breaking up with him because truly, he wasn’t supportive of who I wanted to be.
Be sensitive to what your boyfriend is feeling, of course.
What if my boyfriend broke up with me to travel?
If you’re on the receiving end of the breakup, know that your boyfriend likely had a hard time coming to this decision. When I broke up with my boyfriend to travel, it was so hard on me as well. My ex-boyfriend told me he felt abandoned by me when I went to travel without him. He told me he wish he could’ve heard, “It sure would be nice to have you on this trip with me!” I understand why he might want to hear those words. I know he’s hurt I didn’t say them, but looking back it was obvious to some part of my unconscious that I knew I needed to be traveling single and solo.
Why is my boyfriend is going overseas without me?
My advice to you would be to let your girlfriend or boyfriend go and travel the world. Let him or her get this travel bug out. Most times, travel phases don’t last forever. Your boyfriend will return home one day most likely. So, make sure to not burn your bridges with him so you can comfortably meet up when he’s back from traveling. Just be prepared for the travel bug to come bite again. Once a travel lover, always a travel lover I think.
If your boyfriend broke up with you to travel, but you want it to work still, then please really show encouragement. Ask questions about his travels when he reaches out to you. Don’t leave him feeling guilty after talking with you on the phone. Nobody wants to be in Asia hearing about how their person at home in Michigan is so sad and miserable because I’m out living my best life traveling the world. Who wants to walk about Phuket, Thailand feeling guilty?
Not me. But due to how my boyfriend treated me, I totally suggest not invoking guilt within your boyfriend if you want him to travel without breaking up first.
Should I go traveling without my boyfriend?
Yes! You don’t need to go traveling with your boyfriend. You can be any age you want and you can go traveling without him. Should you? Absolutely. What’s the worst that can happen? Most realistically, the worst that will happen is you’ll need to call him and tell him you’re coming home immediately. You’d then get a taxi, go to the airport, wait, and return home. There really isn’t anything that will go terribly wrong if you travel without your boyfriend. When you’re 100-years-old hopefully, do you really think you’ll regret taking a trip without your boyfriend? Heck no! Please, get on out there and enjoy the world. Especially while you have the opportunity, even if that means traveling without your boyfriend.
Is your boyfriend supportive of you traveling? Or barely tolerant?
There is a big difference. On my first trip to Thailand, my boyfriend at the time sat me down. With a very serious look in his eye, he said “If you travel to Thailand again, I am breaking up with you.” I didn’t realize I was being manipulated. He claimed that he was supporting my decision to travel, but he just wasn’t supporting my decision to continue traveling. In hindsight, I can see his ultimatum as barely tolerant and not supportive at all. True support is saying, “Yes! Go travel and chase your dreams. Please send me photos. I will be here thinking of you when you get back.”