Sex Drive

There’s a reason vacation sex is so good – at least six of them, actually. Now, bring that excitement home every day.

- Anne Roderique-Jones

I can attribute my happy marriage to a disastrous train ride in France. Or the time we sank our rental car in a muddy river in Costa Rica. Or that flight on a Mexican airline that went out of business while we were in the air, stranding us in Acapulco. These weren’t failures – they were experiences.

Traveling with a partner can lead to some great memories, many with an R rating – or at least a rom-com glow. This isn’t misty-eyed conjecture. A Travel Association survey confirms that vacations can strengthen relationships, help couples communicate, and reduce the odds of divorce. Escaping from work, laundry, and kids is liberating. Add in mountain views or salt air, and new sensations help “bring you into your body”, says relationship coach Celeste Hirschman. It all aids sexual arousal.

Your brain loves to travel. “Variety, surprise, and adventure open up the dopamine response in the brain,” says sex coach Patti Britton. That flow of feel-good hormones brings a sense of excitement. “Most couples lose that over time,” she says.

These trips stand out for me and Nate. No need to copy them exactly; use them as inspiration. With a little planning and imagination, you won’t need a lot of money – or, in some cases, clothes.

1 ISLAND ESCAPE

PURPOSE Fulfilling a fantasy

THE GETAWAY Zanzibar, Mauritius, Madagascar