More than ever, I'm grateful to be quarantining with Sean and it makes me think of having had to go through training and the government shutdown alone in the past which was really tough. A couple of things have helped us to try and enjoy this time together rather than go crazy. Here are a few:
1. Our hotel suite has one bedroom with TVs in both the bedroom and the living room. Although it's fun to watch a movie together, sometimes we shut the door and do our own thing and that's ok.
2. We maintain connections with our own friends. Sure, we do the group internet happy hours and group game nights, but we also shut the door and call our own, individual friends as well.
3. We get out and walk together every day. This is something we look forward to and an activity that we enjoy doing as a couple.
4. We plan little events to look forward to every weekend and at the end of the month. Maybe we pay to rent a movie we've been wanting to see online, order takeout, map out an interesting hike or sleep in and cook a big breakfast. Whatever we do, it's fun to have shared things to look ahead to in the future.
5. We dream together. Lately, we've been making lists of what we want to do and where we want to travel when we return to China and when we'll be back in the States on home leave. We've also talked about bigger dreams in a few years like maybe taking leave without pay/time off from work and doing a long thru-hike or working for the National Park Service.
6. We help each other. Sean and I have completely opposite skill sets and swapping them to help the other comes both as a challenge and a comfort. I'm helping him with his online graduate school assignments and he's coaching me through getting back in shape.
7. We hold each other accountable for goals and follow up with rewards. At the beginning of April, we outlined a few things we wanted to accomplish each day and made some charts to hold each other accountable. This works for us because if I don't make it, I'm not just letting myself down, I'm letting Sean down too.
Is everything perfect? Not at all. In a tiny hotel suite we easily drive each other nuts. I'm messy and moody and I get annoyed when Sean gets to sleep in but I have to get up and log on to work. We don't like the same movies and TV shows. Sean gets frustrated when I buy too many things online or when I'm on my phone too much. It goes on and on. But love in the time of Corona has given us a chance to slow things down, focus on what works and accept the fact that when things aren't working, we can step back, shut the door and retreat into our own spaces for awhile. More than anything, however, I'm grateful for his company and companionship; without a doubt, all of our time apart has made us appreciate the gift of being with each other, especially during self-isolation in a global pandemic.
What we're watching:
McMillions - a docuseries on HBO about the corruption and scandal the FBI broke about McDonalds Monopoly game. Although it's about one episode too long, we really enjoyed the program and looked forward to watching a new episode each night.
Best Time for Love
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