It feels good to be back writing. Unfortunately, I had to set blogging aside for a while since I was busy juggling life. I came to the realization that I will always be busy so I just needed to squeeze it in and add it to my juggling list. So here I am ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So a couple of days ago I saw a post on a premed forum asking how can someone be in a relationship while maintaining their career and coursework. The answer is cheesey — you just have to find The Right One.
Why Does Dating as a Premed Student Seem Impossible?
As premed students, we have 40 bajillion things going on: lab reports, exams, MCAT, shadowing, working, homework, volunteering, etc. (I got exhausted just thinking about that). On top of that, we must make time for ourselves and time for family (and friends, if we’re lucky to have any). So where the heck are we supposed to fit in a relationship?
Like I said before, the key is to find The Right One.
Who’s The Right One? They’re the partner that understands your hectic schedule and understand that he or she might not always be your priority. They support you unconditionally and want to see you succeed. They offer help and take care of you. They are your partner.
I know it’s not easy finding that person — not everyone is willing to make that type of commitment or is that understanding. But trust me when you find The Right One, it can be quite ~*~magical~*~.
My Right One
I met Caleb almost 5 years ago in my Intro to Sociology class. I had a tiny (read: huge) crush on him but I was too scared/nervous to approach him because I didn’t think he’d like me. The semester went on and I’d walk into class purposely a minute or two late in hopes that he’d notice me (he sat directly in front of the door). He eventually added me on Facebook and we liked each other’s posts but that was all the interaction we had. On the first day of Thanksgiving break, I got the guts to message him. Things went so well that we haven’t stopped talking since that day.
Our first picture together. Awww
Our relationship was a bit rocky at first — we had our ups and downs, but we worked through it. It took a while for us to get used to things. Caleb was a business major while I was a biology major. He had a lot more free time than I did and I, of course, wanted to spend more time with him but I couldn’t afford to sacrifice my grades. (I learned this the hard way)
Caleb has always encouraged me to do my best. He was patient (for the most part) and understanding of my goals and situation.
So What Does Our Dating Life Look Like?
Like I previously mentioned, we both ran on different schedules. I didn’t have much free time, so it wasn’t like I could easily go out on dates. Instead, he would come over and fall asleep on my bed while I did homework. The audacity.
Guess I was too boring to hangout ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
But this actually really worked out for us. I’d get my work done and he got to nap. It wasn’t fair, but it was a win-win. But it wasn’t all naps and fun for him. He had to do some work. So we found that we were both (surprisingly) productive when we worked with each other.
We’d also cook together (and by cook together I mean I’d cook and he’d do the dishes). We also both became very fond of coffee, so coffee dates became something important to us. Whether we made coffee at my apartment or we’d go out on a walk to a coffee shop, we always made coffee a special break for us to destress.
Another thing we also really enjoy doing together is running errands. Errands. We all dread doing them, but when you find The Right One you actually look forward to grocery shopping, clothes shopping, paying bills, returning stuff, just anything.
And of course, we’d go out to celebrate our accomplishments and other big events. (Like when I survived my first MCAT or he got a new job).
Point is that when you find The Right One, it doesn’t matter what you do because you’ll enjoy each other’s company. You really get to appreciate someone’s presence when you’re too busy to go on traditional dates. I’m happy that I was able to find someone that understands and supports my career goals and I hope you all find The Right One.
