My New Roommate.

I got a new roommate this week.

It's a pretty chill situation, the apartment stays pretty clean.  I do most of the dishes, my roomie vacuums,  and we take turns on things like laundry.  We don't see much of each other, so we haven't had a lot of opportunities to get to know each other, but I've been through this before.  I once had a roommate who wasn't just a night owl, he was nocturnal.  He would literally come in to crash on his bed as I was getting ready to go to class or work in the morning.

This new roomie isn't as extreme, but - well, take last night for example:  I was on my computer working on a digital piece for hours, my roommate was in the bedroom reading that day's required  chapters of a book on Stalin.  We didn't talk much, but we don't see much of each other either.  Once my classes start next week, we'll really only both be home on an occasional Friday morning and Sundays, both of which will probably be devoted to doing homework the entire time.


What's wrong with this picture?



B. and I  already feel more like roommates than spouses.



And I haven't even started class yet.  She works 30 hours a week, is taking 16 credits (Invertebrate Zoology, Plant Pathology, History of WWII, Honors Chem - blech, and a yoga class), and is trying to start up a running routine to go with her yoga.

I'm taking 17 credits (Digital Illustration II, Advanced Figure Drawing, Oil Painting, Concept Art I, Character Design, and a business class especially for illustrators), working the maximum 20 hours a week the university will allow as well as freelance work for various clients.  I'm really excited about these classes, but I'll miss my wife.

Weekends are a no-go, too.  I can't work Saturdays.  She works 12-hour shifts every Saturday.  Sundays are the only days we can try to sleep in before church, then it's all projects and papers.  I counted it out and realized that if I limit my sleep time to under 7 hours a night and my meals and travel time to about 10 hours each week, I can have 30 solid hours for homework a week.  The rest of the time I'm working or in class.  Hopefully I can squeeze in some runs somewhere in there, too.

How can we expect to grow together as a married couple if we only see each other about 12 hours a week?  I thought long-distance dating was hard, but honestly having her home but not home is, in a lot of ways, harder.


I know college is worth it, I don't begrudge the opportunity for an education, it's just the massive time-suck it's becoming that's getting to me.  We won't get to go on a date unless there's a federal holiday.  I'll miss her these next two semesters, but we've both only got about two more years and then we can graduate and have adult lives with free time, right?

...right?



What's the big time-suck in your life?




S