Woman in long-term relationship been on seven holidays this year without her partner

A woman has shared some of the best things about solo travel having already been on seven holidays without her partner this year.

Christina Patel, 30, a recruiter from Ware, Hertfordshire has been in a relationship for four and a half years.

In that time, the couple have been on multiple holidays together but due to his teaching job, Patel often leaves her partner at home while she jets off around the world.

Many people have told Patel that her relationship is "unconventional" and ask if she feels guilty about travelling alone, but she says the arrangement works for them.

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"Within our first four months of dating I had five trips booked and one of them was a month-long trip to South America," she says. "Sometimes people will say 'your poor boyfriend is home alone do you not feel guilty having fun without him?'

"I mainly get those comments from the older generation or people who hold really traditional values," Patel continues. "I am very lucky that my partner is very understanding about it and knows I love to travel."

Patel says she developed a love of travelling after visiting south east Asia when she was 22-years-old.

So far this year, Christina has visited seven countries, including Barbados, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Singapore and Sri Lanka and none of them have been with her partner.

"I love the feeling of freedom and having different adventures everyday," she says of solo travelling. "I love meeting new people and trying new foods - it is a combination of those things.

"It is very different from being at home, waking up, going to work, then sleeping. I like the spontaneous lifestyle."

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Patel says she doesn't believe the relationship would work if she was with someone who was not understanding of her love of travel.

"I am very lucky," she says of her partner. "Most of the stuff I do I book on a whim, when it is the school holidays I will make sure we plan together but apart from that I am a last-minute booker.

"When I tell him I am going away he is like 'ok fair enough' he will come back from work and I will tell him how I will be going away next week.

"He is used to it," she adds.

Health benefits of solo travel

While many may assume wanting to travel on your own is selfish, according to Chloe Brotheridge, hypnotherapist and coach at www.calmer-you.com taking a solo trip has many benefits for your health and your relationship.

"Solo travel can be a huge confidence booster and can help with resilience," she explains. "Being away in a new environment means we have to solve problems and make plans on our own, which can remind us of what we're capable of and even push us out of our comfort zones."

Being out of your comfort zone and seeing yourself survive and even thrive is also what builds confidence.

"We can learn to make decisions ourselves, which is particularly important if we struggle with this and often revert to our partner to make decisions," Brotheridge continues.

"We also have the space to be a bit selfish and put ourselves and our wants first which is vital particularly as women who are often people pleasers and find it hard to do things just for us."

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And taking time on your own can have some plus points for the relationship too.

"When partners have time and space for themselves and for the things they love, they can return to the relationship feeling as though they have filled their own cup and therefore have more to give," Brotheridge adds.

Ditto having some time out from parenthood.

"The monotony of the daily grind as a parent can be very stressful," Brotheridge continues. "Solo travel could be the perfect way to recharge batteries so that parents have more love and energy to give their children.

"We can lose our identity as parents and having new experiences and stories to share from our travels, as well as a renewed confidence, could be a big boost to a relationship."

For those worrying they might feel lonely while travelling alone, life coach Roberta Mussato, author of Universe I Trust You: A Month in Sri Lanka says that is a common misconception.

"When you are on your own it is so much easier to meet other people," she explains. "From sharing taxi rides, to striking up a conversation while eating alone, these are all things that might not happen if you were travelling with a partner."

Mussato says it is these experiences that can make the trip more adventurous, which can lead to you learning a lot about yourself.

"It’s a constant discovery because you’re meeting people with a completely different culture, and end up in situations that are so different from your every day reality," she explains.

More selfishly, it means you can do exactly what you want, when you want and don't have to compromise.

"Your experience is not going to be tamed by other people’s moods or tastes or preferences. There’s just you. It’s total freedom," she adds.

Additional reporting SWNS.