Samantha Priestly
When I first met my partner almost 10 years ago, my two daughters were in college and not home much.
Once he became a fixture in my life and they were home more, though, the complexities of blending a family became real. It wasn't easy for them to share our space and get to know this man — nor was it easy for him to navigate his new partner's children.
We finally found our groove once we started traveling together.
To start, we took a short trip (two days) with just the four of us — and we chose a place close to home.
I wasn't sure how we'd all get along, if it would feel awkward, if there'd be arguments, or if we'd all want to do different things. My partner also confessed a feeling of dread as we approached the trip: What if it was a disaster?
As our trip began, though, I noticed how relaxed we all felt away from all the day-to-day stresses of home and work. This immediately made it easier to connect.
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Once my youngest daughter moved in with her serious boyfriend, we saw a little less of her, which made building family bonds harder.
We were keen to welcome her boyfriend into the family and so, we thought, what better way to do that than by traveling together? We all spent a few days in the English Lake District in an old rental house, exploring the lakes and browsing antique stores.
Staying in a house together for a few days forced us to really get to know each other and connect. My partner and my daughter's boyfriend got on better than any of us could have hoped, and we all loved being in the one house.
I don't think anything brings you closer than sharing experiences, and that was definitely the case for our family.
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We've gone wine tasting in Yorkshire, toured the Roman Baths in Bath, and toasted marshmallows over a fire in the Cheddar countryside.
Sharing all these new experiences together and doing things we might not do on our own — or might never even imagine doing — brought us closer together.
Along the way, we've learned and shared who each of us was and what we liked and didn't like.
We learned more about my daughter's boyfriend's love for skateboarding at an exhibition in Wales. My eldest daughter introduced us to her love for Ethiopian food in London.
At one point, my partner shared how much he enjoys a cold dip in the sea in Wales in October. Then, we all tried it.
As we each ran toward the waves, shrieking at the cold water and laughing at each other's reactions, I knew traveling together had made us closer than ever.
