Andrew January and February Recap

January was an incredible month.

We made it back to school on January 12 after our honeymoon to Central America. Needless to say the first few days, while a nice adjustment, were a little stressful.  We figured out our thermostat (Kylie was really cold the first couple days) and got our classes and schedules in order.  Most of the things we’d missed in school and work were minor and we were able to catch ourselves up pretty quickly.

January was the start of “real” married life. We got our place in order, figured out our routine for grocery shopping, gathered furniture to decorate our apartment, and generally found ourselves settling down. Honestly, I felt a backpacking honeymoon did wonders for our relationship. Not only did we see one another at all times of the day, we were stressed, tired, sick and a whole slew of other things together. That really helped balancing the stress of a rushed life once we got back.  I remember getting frustrated a couple times as we figured out how the other operated and as we learned more about one another. Honestly though, it was really smooth sailing. I started back at work at Vivint as a business analyst and I was pleasantly surprised that the team was friendly despite my acceptance of a job offer at LEK.  Seeing my climbing team at the Quarry and coaching them again was a great way to get back into the swing of things.

All that being said, what I remember most from January was the feeling/desire to start our marriage off right. We set goals on the plane ride over (financial, spiritual, academic etc) and did our best to develop habits around those goals. January was a great first month of being married.

February was also great.

Most of the month we’ve spent time planning our trip to Africa, i.e. which route we will take, what we will see, and who will be our contacts in the region.  We have already organized a plan for KIlimanjaro (including a work-out routine) and set about planning trips to trek mountain gorillas and stay in a native Maasai tribal village. Other than planning our days have been filled with scholarship applications and finding ways to save as much money as we possibly can to enjoy on memorable experiences in Africa.

Kylie and I have been working hard on our workout routine. We’ve done a series of sprints, hikes and runs to get in shape and it feels so good. While I’m not entirely in basketball shape yet, I feel myself more fit than I’ve been for some time and the change feels great.

We’ve cooked from nearly 80 countries now, each dish new and flavorful, and each an incredible experience. Dinner often spirals into discussions about diet and we always end the conversation feeling very blessed that we’re able to live such a healthy lifestyle. We have absolutely no sugar in our apartment (besides dried fruits and honey) and most of what we eat we make ourselves (from yogurt and cheese to dinners to lunches).   I can feel the healthy habits that we are forming positively affect my body and performance in EVERYTHING.

In light of all that is going on, I also set a goal of putting in over 100 hours in my GMAT studies over the next couple of months -prepping for the GMAt is a much more challenging experience than I ever anticipated. I plan on being ready to take the GMAT once we return from Africa the first portion of September.  Wish me luck.   I’ve also picked up reading the weekly edition of the economist and have learned many new things.  Feeling myself growing in knowledge is great…

Over the past two months I’ve been learning  what marriage entails.  You give of yourself.  We have developed a system of working through frustrations and making sure we always have good communication with one another. I have heard comments from my married friends about how they were happier single, but grateful for the lessons of marriage has taught them… I entirely disagree with these comments. I have found myself happier in marriage than I ever was in my single life, and my single life was pretty great! Now I have someone to lean on, someone to help, and someone to grow with.

The best part of marriage has been having my best friend to chat to, listen to, and spend my time with.   Kylie pushes me to be better and live up to my potential each and every day. Her dreams are my dreams and we try to keep that perspective as we discuss our life choices together. While we handle stress and challenges differently, we are developing a system of communication and love that has really helped us develop as a couple.

I have also developed the habit of making our bed.  I guess there are a few things that have changed from my single life.  Now that I’m married I… make my bed everyday, take lunches with me to school (to save $), get less sleep (stay up late talking and studying with Kylie), have a “cutely” decorated apartment with rugs and curtains, eat homemade granola, hang my coat up, run several times a week, do laundry more consistently, run errands earlier, plan travels more often (Kylie’s favorite pastime), and find myself asking “why” more often (Kylie has a curiosity about the world that helps me think about life).