Chris and I don’t have all that much in common. We have similar minds, in that we think alike, but as for hobbies we are polar opposites. We both know it and sometimes it can take its toll on our relationship. I feel that separate hobbies are nice and even necessary to maintain some semblance of self and individualism in close relationships like marriage. But doing everything separate doesn’t always make for the easiest of paths because sometimes you want your partner to take part in the things you love.

For example, Chris loves motorcycles. Therefore, 2 years ago, when he moved to Columbus to be with me, he bought me my own hot pink and black sparkly motorcycle helmet so I can go on rides with him. I love wearing that helmet and it makes me excited to participate in one of his favorite hobbies. On the flip side, I love animals. Therefore, Chris bought me a second dog as a surprise for Christmas and puts up with the messes my pets make on a daily basis. But, sometimes these small interests in each other’s hobbies aren’t enough.

Recently we made a promise to each other to find the things that we both enjoy doing and make more time to do them together. One of the things we love to do the most is cook. Hence, our new ‘Cooking Sunday.’ Not a very creative name I know, but we have a blast. We base our meals on things we haven’t tried before, vegetables we’ve grown in our garden, ingredients we find at Farmer’s Markets, etc. We even ride bikes to the Farmer’s Market in town to find stuff. After a month, here is a short list of things we’ve made:

-Homemade pasta and sauce- tomatoes and veggies grown in garden
-Apple and Jalepeno jelly- the apples were picked at an orchard and the jalepenos grown in our garden
-Pesto made from basil grown in our garden
-Applesauce from our day at the orchard apple picking
-Roasted chicken with veggies and Caprese salad
-Zucchini bread for ourselves and all our neighbors
-Summer squash soup
I’m happy to give recipes if anyone is interested in trying any of this stuff. Everything we’ve made thus far has been completely delicious!

I’m also learning to love new things that I never would have done before. I love to go camping, which is something I never did until I met Chris. We also found we love to kayak and we’re hoping to buy our own in the next year. Rock climbing is also a fun activity to do together. If you’re feeling adventurous, try taking a weekend road trip together to somewhere you’ve never been.

It’s also nice to just go on dates together. A fun dinner or happy hour always puts me in a good mood. I feel proud to sit across from my fiance, share my thoughts with him, listen to what he has to say and spend time with him. Apple, berry, or pumpkin picking makes for a more relaxing and cute date. Wine tasting is another love of ours… gee I wonder why?

Doing these things have created a new playfulness to our relationship. Trying them together has brought us much closer. Even if the activity turns out to be lame, you bond because you can laugh about it afterwards. If it’s fun, then you have something new to spice up boring days.

What are some things you and your significant other like to do together? Try anything fun lately?