I feel she's saying that a relationship is not the Disney / Hallmark movie or the best moments you see in the commercials and magazines. It's work because in the end life is a grind taking care of stuff.
The article ended short because it gave some back story on how they met, and she changed plans to be with him, how they've been traveling, then it ended without saying why it wasn't as romantic as it seemed.
Ok, so she's a chick that loves to travel. Great, most chicks are. If you look at dating profiles, they all put in Travel as something they like to do. Why? Because the man is paying for everything unless they're going alone or with the girls. They get to see a new place and eat at different places. But it's a grind to make it all happen. I think that's what the author was talking about.
I could give another example of this. I travel across the country to ride roller coasters. The ride last about a minute. Yet look at what I have to do.. Fly on a jet, rent a car, rent a hotel room, wait in long lines at the ride (queues), then I finally get that 1 minute of fun.