Monday, January 24, 2011

Being Married & Finding Time


It's accounting season -- and it has been -- around these parts, which means that Tuvia is working 12-14 hour days, coming home late at night and diving straight into bed. I've had the past month (and then some) off from school, and working part-time has actually been a little less than part-time, meaning I've had a lot of time to frequent coffee shops and futz around at home not really doing anything in particular. I have been sick, which takes up a lot of unnecessary energy, but overall, I've sort of been twiddling my thumbs.

Tomorrow I start my second semester at NYU with some fun classes on Israel in the 1960s, Jewish education, teaching a second language to college students and adults, and a Hebrew course that's really geared toward undergrads (homework and tests are more my speed). That will put me in NYC four days a week, one of those until 9 something at night. Tack on the part-time work, the commute, and, well, I won't be home much.

So here's what I'm wondering: Tuvia and I have been married nearly eight months and it seems like after those first few months our time has become monopolized by work and life and everything else, so how do you keep connected to your significant other? Do you set time aside to do things? Do you plan grocery trips? Do you set date nights? How do you maintain your sanity and that connectivity? There's always Shabbat, but it seems like by the time we get to Friday, our interests are sleeping, eating, and sleeping some more.

That first year is killer, we all know that. Chuck your wisdom at me, married couples!