I feel grateful having this time to spend with the love of my life

 

Kristyn Taulane Photography

Spending a year trapped in my home at any other point in my life would have been terrible. Although the weight of the pandemic impacts both my work and mental health every day, I feel grateful having this time to spend with the love of my life.

I spent the first six months of the pandemic living with my fiance and cooking new dishes that I never had time to make before. We’d binge-watch shows on Netflix, go for walks that felt like living in a dystopian zombie movie, and take turns consoling each other when the stress of world events became too much for one of us to bear.

Not much has changed since September, as we continue to avoid social gatherings and primarily stay at home. But instead of living with my fiance, I am now living with my husband.

On Sept. 5, Peter and I shared our vows — filled with inside jokes — with one another on one of the hottest days of the year under the shade of a Peruvian pepper tree in Pioneer Park.

Instead of being surrounded by a crowd of more than 150 people, we were joined by a small group of close family and friends, the rest of our “guests” watching from around the world via Zoom.

We didn’t have a first dance, or a champagne toast, and instead of feeding each other cupcakes on display, we exhaustedly scarfed them down once we returned home that night. Worst of all, my East Coast-based father was unable to walk me down the aisle.

Despite all the missing elements of my dream wedding, it was a beautiful day because we were taking the next step in our lives together.

Much to my wanderlustful heart’s chagrin, we still aren’t able or willing to plan our honeymoon, but living in a two-person quarantine bubble is the perfect staycation version.

As a journalist married to an accountant, there would be very few opportunities for us to work together before the pandemic caused us to work from home.

Now we spend every day working together, separated by a tiny hallway. We get to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together as we take turns cooking for one another, and spend our lunch breaks going for an afternoon walk. Friday nights are spent playing video games and snacking on pizza, and on the weekends, we have socially distant picnics with our tiny quarantine bubble.

From coming in to clear the pile of plates and coffee cups from my desk, to chatting with me after an especially emotional interview, Peter’s support over this year has been essential to maintaining balance.

I feel so fortunate that over this past year, I was not only able to marry my best friend, but I also have the constant reassurance that he is the perfect match for me.

This story was first published in The San Diego Union-Tribune online and in print on Feb. 12, 2021. To read the other pandemic love stories featured in this package, click the link above.