Originally Posted by
2ering
I'm lucky in that my companion enjoys cycling and touring, but two weeks is about her limit as she works. I on the other hand have retired and assumed many of the domestic chores from cooking and cleaning to walking the pooch daily. My dream, since I was laid off in 2007, is to attempt a 4-6 month tour of Europe, but am afraid I would feel real guilty knowing I've essentially abandoned her for that period. She plans to work for another 5 years or so, and even if she were to retire now (which would only happen if the company laid her off) it doesn't appear she would enjoy a tour anywhere near that length.
So I am wondering how other solo tourists that are in a committed relationship and whose partner is not able to join them on extended tours have resolved the issues. Thanks for your comments.
I *might* be an expert in this area. My wife is from Brazil, is a few years younger than me and essentially started her career over when we were married and she moved to the US.
On the other hand, I've been with the same company for almost 27 years and have tons o' vacation a year - she started with two weeks and now has three meaning I can weeks of vacation where she can't go with me.
We've talked about what happens when I retire - it's not unlike your situation - she loves to work and has no intentions of retiring when I go out. That's good financially and from an expectations point of view, she knows that I want to travel and doesn't mind my multi-week cheap vacations.
How cheap are they? Well, not bad but cheap enough that it doesn't meet her idea of a vacation. Kayak trips - bicycle trips - etc.... not her thing.
We were talking about your comments last night. I asked her what made her comfortable when I travel. She said two things - while she doesn't want to be controlling, it was important to her that I document my schedule fully and that I touch base w/ her daily - if not more. If I go missing or don't check in, she wants to have a good idea of where I'm supposed to be so that she can direct the local authorities to the same general location.
In 2008, I did a kayak trip on the Alabama river - and was alone for 5 days after starting the trip w/ others. In 2009, I went on a kayak/riverboat trip on the Rio Negro in Amazonia Brazil. In both cases, there was no cellphone coverage so I used a SPOT unit. That allowed me to check-in in the morning, at lunch and in the evening when we stopped for the night. That really helped her comfort level. As long as I do this, I can travel anywhere in the world and she's ok w/ it.
The other suggestions are spot-on also - fly her in to join you for several days or even a week or two. If you're off for a 4-6 month tour of Europe, there's no reason why you guys can't carve out a vacation for her in an area she's always wanted to visit. My wife would love that and it would make this a no-brainer for her.