Cohabitation Styles

(source)

I have to admit, Mr. Barrettes is not the first boyfriend I've lived with. (Although to be fair, I told him I would not move in with "boyfriends" any longer. He took the hint.) I lived with 2 previous boyfriends. Now before you gasp in horror please consider that I am 29 years old; it might be scary if I was only 20.

Cohabitating with men is definitely a learned skill and I cannot be happier that I have nestled into my shared-living style before marriage. Some say it takes the fun out of it, but I'm all for learning experiences and I'm thankful to have learned a few things before I lived with Mr. Barrettes. I'm the cleaner. I don't mind doing dishes, completing laundry(what's with men and not folding?), general clutter-removal, scrubbing tubs, floors or any other dirty surface. While I can cook for myself, cooking for others is not my strongest suit, especially not for Mr. Barrettes.

We have different needs when it comes to food. The man is almost 200 lbs. of muscle. He needs to eat. Real food. A lot. Me? Dinner could be a turkey sandwich and a handful of carrots. Don't get me wrong, I can eat, but during normal daily life I'm a pretty simple foodie. Mr. Barrettes, on the other hand, knows his way around the kitchen and isn't afraid to show it. Never have I tasted an herb-crusted tuna steak at a restaurant better than his. Meat and potatoes? Fuhgetabouit. His creations always have texture and color and a hint of I-don't-know-what. Tell me to create something and I'll only ever whip you up a vegan lasagna.

We live very well together and respect and accept each other's strengths and weaknesses. Something that has taken me 10 years do to.

Personal time is also something I've learned is important. Sometimes it's nice to be busy doing separate things. I love my computer time and sometimes I just want to read for hours. Uninterrupted time is sacred these days in the world of constant communication. Have you sat by yourself for 2 hours and written in a journal with your real handwriting lately? Me neither, but I'm trying. I'm learning when you have filled your personal reserve of energy, you have more energy for others.

If this applies, are you happy you lived with a partner before marriage? Or do you wish you hadn't?