The life of an evening news anchor is a different kind of lifestyle. My hours are 2-11 pm Monday through Friday…kind of a night owl schedule. Not many people have similar work hours to me unless you work in a career like law enforcement.
The great thing about the schedule is that you have until 2 pm to get everything in your personal life done for the day. I never have to take off work or worry about fitting something into my lunch break for a doctor’s appointment. I also have time to run errands while everything is open.
There are downsides though. One of those is the fact that my day doesn’t end until 11 pm. Getting off work late and going straight to bed feels really weird. I know some evening newsers don’t go to bed right away. It’s kind of a toss-up for me. Some nights it’s as soon as I get home while others it’s like 3 am. Another downside is people. There are fewer people in the newsroom, meaning fewer people to talk to, which makes for a really sad girl lol. I loveeeee to chat. But most importantly the real hard part is dating a guy who works the complete opposite schedule as you. My boyfriend, Bryce, works an 8-5. So the only time I get to see him is lunch, sometimes dinner, and the weekends.
The two of us, even though we are like passing ships, make it work. As one half of the relationship, I try to make sure I’m making time for him and showing him that I care. The slight wrench in our time together is that Bryce also works a part-time job (on top of his full-time gig) that has him working weekends--which means there’s even less time to spend together. But that’s okay! We live together so we’ll see each other around lol.
For me, the most important part is trying to spend quality time together. It doesn’t matter if we’re doing something out and about, what matters most is that we’re just together. The only way our opposite schedules will negatively impact our relationship is if we let it.
So what do we do?
Eat meals together.
Every day we get to eat lunch together. That’s a great time for us to chat and catch up on each others day. It might not seem like much, but it makes a difference! We also try to eat dinner together as well! That just depends on what nights Bryce has to work his other gig.
Carve out time for each other.
Even if it’s time to just sit together, it’s something. Avoid screen time in the few moments you have and just be present. It might even be staying up a little late for your significant other. Bryce sometimes will stay up and chat with me for a little after I get off work, or I will get up before he goes to work and eat breakfast with him.
Surprise your significant other
It’s the little things that brighten a day! Whether it’s bringing your significant other a little present, sending them a text, or leaving a note--it matters! I occasionally will bring Bryce breakfast at work or even some snacks. Sometimes I’ll leave him a sticky note saying I love you, or just send him and text and let him know I miss him. He’s left me notes before too and it always makes me smile (I even kept the notes). It could also be taking the time to do a chore around the house that's not yours! Yesterday I came home to a room I was supposed to clean when I got back, fully cleaned up! It's acts of kindness just like that that lift your spirits!
Take vacation time together.
Try and take the same days off so you can be present with each other and actually enjoy time just being with your significant other. Bryce and I are about to take a trip to Hawaii--just him and I! I’m so excited we will have nothing but time to devote to one another! It doesn’t have to be a long vacation though-it could be something simple like just taking one day off and spending that day doing something fun! A while ago, I took a day off work and Bryce, Binny, and I (this was when we didn’t have Harpo) went to Allerton Park (a beautiful garden space in central IL). We walked around the gardens and explored! We then came home and Bryce and I went out to eat. It was just a nice day to chat and spend quality time together.
Divide chores
This is definitely something the two of us can do better at. I’m sure when either one of us comes home to a messy shared area, dirty dishes, or laundry not done it slightly strikes a nerve for each other. But with different schedules, we have to devote different times to cleaning. You know what they say, a clean space makes for an organized mind. Having a clean space is honestly sooooo important! I’ll be the first to admit lol I am the more messy one of the two of us, so this one I have to work extra hard to make sure I’m doing my part.
When we have time together, we like to do things like take the dogs on a walk, sit outside and chat, watch a movie, go eat at a restaurant, or even go out and do an activity. Something we also love to do together is shopping! That’s my favorite lol, especially when it involves TJMaxx. We also went to a U of I game together (even though U of I is not great at football) and a local IL winery called Alto.
All in all, it works, but you have to invest the time together and to yourself to make it work!
Xoxo,
Amber
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