From Business Insider · Renate Flanagan · · 2m
A month in, she invited him on vacation. Six years later, they're still together.
Renate Flanagan took a chance inviting a new boyfriend on a four-day trip to Maine. The vacation became the perfect test of their compatibility.
In brief
Renate Flanagan took a chance inviting a new boyfriend on a four-day trip to Maine. The vacation became the perfect test of their compatibility. A woman invited a man she had been dating for a month to join her planned vacation to Acadia National Park in Maine, and the trip revealed their compatibility so clearly that…
A solo trip becomes a relationship test
During the spring of 2020 pandemic lockdown, Renate Flanagan planned a solo trip to Acadia National Park in Maine to escape cabin fever. National parks remained mostly open despite social distancing mandates.
She meets someone in July
In July, Flanagan met a guy from a dating app. They hit it off and were seeing each other multiple times a week. Her Maine trip was scheduled for the last week of August.
An impulsive invitation
About a month after they met, Flanagan mentioned she would miss him during her Maine trip.He said he would miss her too.She blurted out, "Well, you could come with me."He accepted without hesitation.
“Well, you could come with me.”
Early signs of compatibility
As they planned the trip together, Flanagan saw positive signals. They agreed on accommodation standards, neither wanting a five-star hotel nor a rustic cabin with an outhouse. He impressed her loading the car efficiently.
The nine-hour drive reveals teamwork
The drive to Maine showed they worked well together, taking turns driving and navigating.They discovered they shared nearly identical tastes in early two thousands rock music despite growing up on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
Living together felt effortless
Staying in the cabin together was a micro-experiment in living together that felt effortless. They hiked Cadillac Mountain, skipped rocks at Jordan Pond, went kayaking, and ate fresh lobster at Acadia.
Six years later, still together
Inviting someone you are dating on vacation so soon might have been unconventional, but it turned out great.
The bottom line
A woman invited a man she had been dating for a month to join her planned vacation to Acadia National Park in Maine, and the trip revealed their compatibility so clearly that they remained together for six years.
