> and take some trips where you face at least a little adversity to get a good measure of how well you two can work together. While I agree with this and do it

> and take some trips where you face at least a little adversity to get a good measure of how well you two can work together. While I agree with this and do it in my own life, I don't think that taking a trip is enough to ensure a relationship is a success. As an example: my partner and I have been on several trips to other continents. We've managed to make it through these trips without breaking up, and while having a reasonably fun time. But while trips are stressful and are the ultimate test of your ability to compromise/communicate, it isn't the same as daily life together. For example, my partner loves to leave dirty dishes in the sink to wash later. I prefer to do the dishes immediately so when I come by later to use the sink, it's not full of dirty dishes. It's small, but persistently annoying. We're both working on our tolerance for dirty dishes. (Before someone suggests buying a dish washer, our European apartment is too small for one, so the sink is the only option). This not the kind of thing you'd notice on vacation.