Real Housewives of Orange County

When you enter a serious relationship, do you give up the right to take a vacation alone?

I started thinking about that question after watching Thursday's episode of "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

On the show, some of the cast members insisted they'd never taken a vacation without their husbands.

It's not the first time I've heard that mentality. Some people think a willingness to let your significant other travel alone makes you either naive or a doormat.

I don't necessarily think that's true. Couples' interests don't always align, and there's no reason to deprive your boyfriend of a gambling/golfing/hiking weekend just because it isn't your cup of tea. Also, separate vacations can be energizing for a couple who's around each other 24-7.

However, in entering a serious relationship, you lose some of your vacation-planning freedom.

I think you should at take at least one vacation together a year, and if you plan on going on an extended solo trip, you should at least run it by your partner first.

Thoughts?

(For more "Real Housewives of Orange County" news, including cast members' blogs, click here. Also, fans of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" should check out this article, which says NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak could get dumped from the show.)