Should you travel with your partner to find out if they are ‘the one’? S’pore couples weigh in.

It’s becoming more common for young Singaporeans to anticipate their first trips overseas without their parents.

This might take the form of a graduation trip with schoolmates, or an “ORD trip” with army mates marking the end of one’s mandatory full-time national service.

A survey by travel company Skyscanner showed that 94 per cent of young people in Singapore were planning to, or had already taken, a trip abroad without their parents.

Along with this trend comes young people who want to travel with their romantic partner — 30 per cent of them, according to the survey.

The commonly-touted benefits of embarking on such a trip include getting to know one’s partner in a different context.

Presumably, by stepping away from the familiar Singapore backdrop for a change of scenery, couples can gain a deeper understanding of each other and assess whether their relationship is ready to progress to the next level.

How should a couple hoping to embark on such a trip go about planning it? And, are there any hidden downsides or dangers to be aware of?

Mothership spoke to some young couples to hear their experiences, views, and advice.

A spontaneous invitation

Cheryl, 30, recalls the moment — during a one-week overseas trip to Japan — that helped her decide that her then-boyfriend could be “the one”.

Surprisingly, it came before they’d even gotten on the plane.

The trip had happened quite spontaneously — Cheryl’s group of friends had been planning it for some time, and she decided to invite her boyfriend.

The day of the long-anticipated trip came along, and the group was at the airport when Cheryl realised she had forgotten to apply for a renewal of her re-entry permit.

As a Singapore permanent resident (PR), Cheryl leaving Singapore without a valid permit would mean losing her PR status — a serious consequence.

While Cheryl recalls being “quite sad and negative”, she also remembers how her boyfriend offered to stay with her to settle the paperwork while the rest of the group went ahead, and assured her that things would work out in the end — and they did.

“It did give me an opportunity to see him in a different situation,” she said.

While Cheryl and her husband were a relatively new couple at that point, she looks back on the experience as one which signalled to her that this could be a relationship that would last.

Cheryl notes that experience as being “a bit unique”, but pointed to the fact that going overseas places couples in different circumstances that would be “hard to replicate” in Singapore.

Don’t stress yourself out

Richmond, 31, who went on several trips with his wife before they got married, echoed Cheryl’s sentiments, saying that travelling together allows couples to see how their significant other handles “difficulties that arise on the spot”.

He’s aware that for some who recommend that couples should travel together, the trip needs to be “sufficiently taxing” so they can observe each other’s reactions under “stress”.

However, Richmond cautioned that couples planning a trip together shouldn’t intentionally stress themselves — or their partner — just to see if they are compatible.

Reflecting on his own trips to places like Hanoi, Melbourne, and Southwest England, each ranging from a week to two weeks long, Richmond said they “did not subject [them]selves to taxing situations”.

Instead, his tip would be to “take it as it comes”.

“Enjoy yourself and have a blast!” he offered, when asked for his advice for other couples planning trips.

Richmond also pointed out another benefit of overseas travel as a couple — especially for those who haven’t lived together — a trip overseas can allow couples to reveal each other’s lifestyles and identify potential issues or areas where living habits might clash.

“Forced independence”

Brandon, 27, said an overseas trip for a couple should be handled with proper planning and communication.

He suggested that one of the benefits of travelling overseas lies in how it created “forced independence” for the couple — being required to make decisions together on more than the typical questions they might answer while dating.

Brandon echoed Richmond’s sentiments about how couples shouldn’t travel together with the intention of judging compatibility.

In fact, his own trip with his girlfriend was planned as a one-week solo trip for himself, which would coincide with her trip to visit friends in Australia.

“It was very chill, we had our own plans and only spent a few days together,” he says.

Even Cheryl, whose trips with her then-boyfriend — including trips with family and friends — helped her “feel like he was right for me”, said she didn’t plan those trips specifically to see if they were a fit for each other.

Geneco’s “Give Us A Try” plan

Romantic relationships aren’t the only thing in life where it’s good to be sure about what you’re getting into.

A relationship with another person involves commitment, just like so many of the smaller things in life, such as our gym memberships, Netflix subscriptions, and even our household electricity plans.

Which is why Geneco is offering a six-month electricity plan for homeowners.

For a limited time, the electricity retailer is offering a special rate of 27.80 cents/kWh (with GST) during the six-month trial plan.

It’s an almost-15 per cent discount from the current regulated tariff rate of 32.57 cents/kWh (with GST) offered by SP Group.

This rate applies to the first 1,000 signups.

With its relatively short six-month contract period, you can experience Geneco’s service before deciding to commit to a longer contract.

At the end of the trial, you’ll be able to renew your contract with Geneco’s Get It Fixed plans that also come with a “Price Match Guarantee”.

Going steady with Geneco

For those who want to jump into a relationship with Geneco, Geneco offers an attractive rate of 29.42 cents/kWh, for their most popular plan: Get It Fixed 24 (24-month plan).

To sweeten the deal even further, new sign-ups for Get It Fixed 24 can enjoy up to S$160 in rebates.

The S$160 comprises:

• A S$65 bill rebate
• A S$15 eCapitaVoucher
• Up to S$50 in bank rebates
• An exclusive S$30 referral promotion for Mothership readers who use the promo code MS30PS when signing up as new Geneco users

The plan’s “Price Match Guarantee” means you can be sure you’re getting the best deal.

Find out more on Geneco’s website here.

This sponsored article by Geneco made the writer grateful for the “trial period” he enjoyed with his wife while they were dating.

Top photo by joyce huis on Unsplash