A video of a couple appearing “asleep” while sharing a meal during a hotel stay has gone viral on Instagram.
The clip was posted by Ali and Daniela (@dandi.couple) and has had more than 31 million views since it was posted on June 1. The moment appears to have been captured in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, according to a hashtag shared with the post.
A message overlaid on the video reads: “When you soul is still asleep but breakfast is included in your stay.”
The footage shows a man and a woman sitting at a table outdoors, each with their head down, tucking into their plate of food in apparent silence. A caption shared with the post reads: “Not gonna miss the breakfast I paid for.”
While it’s unknown if the tired couple in the latest viral clip didn’t engage with each other at all at breakfast, shared moments on vacation can be important for a couple’s relationship.
A December 2019 study of couples in the U.S., published in the Journal of Travel Research, found that “shared experiences during vacations” was positively associated with couples’ “day-to-day functioning at home.”
The study said that those who “engaged in higher levels of shared experiences during their vacations, such as effective communication, showing affection, or experiencing new things together, reported higher levels of couple flexibility and cohesion following their vacations, regardless of the number of vacations.”
The latest post comes as travel is set to reach record highs in 2024, with global tourism spending expected to hit U.S. $2 trillion, according to a December 2023 survey by Euromonitor International, the market research firm.
Jet-setters say they will cut down on other areas of personal spending to prioritize leisure travel this year, according to a global survey of more than 10,000 travelers across nine countries, conducted by Ipsos and the Hilton hotel group.
‘The Universal Blank Stare’
Users on Instagram could relate to the couple’s sentiment in the viral clip. “I finally feel truly seen,” posted @thegiantthinker.
“Hahaha so funny. we usually skip breakfasts but definitely not skipping it when it’s included!” noted @travel.stressfree
“The universal blank stare at something when your body is moving but your mind hasn’t caught up yet,” wrote @instajenne.
“Why is breakfast always so early?,” asked @hungry.travelers_.
“Why is it always like 7-10 am?? You think I’m waking up that early when I’m on vacation?!,” added @jordan_chou.
“This is why I never get a breakfast package,” commented @sibaatsea.
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok and email. This video has not been independently verified.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.