Want More Romance? Drive Somewhere Together
When we were first dating, my husband and I decided to take a car trip through Canada. We sailed, with our car, on a ferry from Maine to New Brunswick and started the drive. The deal was, you drove to a different city each day and stayed overnight, making your way slowly through Canada.
As we started out, it seemed like a great idea. We were free (no cell phones or iPads in those days) and as we drove, we talked. I'll admit some of it wasn't so nice, like having to stop by the side of the road every afternoon so he could nap (and he was only 34! but this was befoe we knew he had ADHD), and not wanting to stop, when I did, to shop.
Looking back on it, I see it could have been a disaster. We didn't know each other that well yet and hours alone in a car could have been, well, a calamity. But we got through it, and pretty much enjoyed it (except when I was driving and he slept the whole time).
And now a new study confirms what we knew. Your car may be the best place to strengthen your relationship.
As newswise.com quotes Matthew Johnson, director of the Marriage and Family Studies Laboratory at Binghamton University, "Sustained attention such as you would find on a long road trip encourages you to talk about your relationship, and that alone can improve it.”
Johnson believes that even if a couple has been together for years, drive-time can help strengthen the bond. I must confess, we don't drive very many long distances -- or together, much -- these days. It's mostly back and forth to middle school and soccer games but occasionally, we'll find ourselves alone in the car (which is happening more and more, now that our almost-13-year-old refuses to go anywhere with us), and it's a time to reflect and relax.
Except when all my husband wants to do is talk about how much he hates his job.
As we started out, it seemed like a great idea. We were free (no cell phones or iPads in those days) and as we drove, we talked. I'll admit some of it wasn't so nice, like having to stop by the side of the road every afternoon so he could nap (and he was only 34! but this was befoe we knew he had ADHD), and not wanting to stop, when I did, to shop.
Looking back on it, I see it could have been a disaster. We didn't know each other that well yet and hours alone in a car could have been, well, a calamity. But we got through it, and pretty much enjoyed it (except when I was driving and he slept the whole time).
And now a new study confirms what we knew. Your car may be the best place to strengthen your relationship.
As newswise.com quotes Matthew Johnson, director of the Marriage and Family Studies Laboratory at Binghamton University, "Sustained attention such as you would find on a long road trip encourages you to talk about your relationship, and that alone can improve it.”
Johnson believes that even if a couple has been together for years, drive-time can help strengthen the bond. I must confess, we don't drive very many long distances -- or together, much -- these days. It's mostly back and forth to middle school and soccer games but occasionally, we'll find ourselves alone in the car (which is happening more and more, now that our almost-13-year-old refuses to go anywhere with us), and it's a time to reflect and relax.
Except when all my husband wants to do is talk about how much he hates his job.
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