And Why it’s Worth it to Brush it Off and Travel Anyway!

I think it’s safe to say Shanna and I have had quite a few awkward experiences while traveling together, but honestly, who hasn’t! If you are an avid traveler like we are, then you know nothing ever goes according to plan and something always goes wrong. We’ve learned to go with the flow and not let things small awkward encounters get to us. But here are some things that have happened to us as a femme lesbian couple during our travels, let us know if you can relate!

1. We are not always perceived as a couple. Sometimes we are, and sometimes we are not. That can be a positive or a negative thing depending on the situation/country we are in. Sadly, a lot of people still perceive gender roles in a relationship based on appearance, and since we present more feminine, most outsiders tend to assume we are sisters, friends, cousins, etc.

2. We always get asked “Are you sure you want only one bed?” Almost every time we check into a hotel, they seem to think that us wanting only one bed must be a mistake. We have to constantly confirm that, yes, our booking is correct, we only want one bed 😉

3. Strangers consistently ask what our relationship is to each other.  It’s usually just people trying to be friendly, like taxi drivers, locals, or wait staff, but this can lead to a situation where you have to decide how safe you feel revealing your sexuality to a stranger. We always decide in the moment what we want to say depending on how comfortable we feel in our surroundings and who we are with. Remember, you don’t have to tell anyone anything you don’t want to, and safety always comes first!

4. We never know what to tell Customs Agents at the airport. Customs forms usually ask if you are travelling with family, and since we are not married (yet) we usually go up to the Customs Agent separately. We never know if we should say we are traveling with our partner or not because the Customs Agents all react differently and it can be awkward. One time Shanna said she was traveling alone and I said I was traveling with my partner and the Customs Agent yelled at me for like 15 minutes and said I was lying! He almost didn’t let me through lol.

5. No matter how many awkward situations we face, traveling together is 100% worth it. Even though some of these situations can be really awkward, we always just laugh them off as much as we can and move on! Traveling together is one of the most amazing things you can do with your partner — you get to experience new life changing experiences together, and you see a whole new side of the world when you travel to new places, meet new people, and experience new cultures!