This long year of lockdowns, quarantines, and all possible restrictions had been the pain for us all. Before the whole thing started to get too long, I adored looking at memes about quarantine and “choosing the right person for a lockdown”.
It was funny, but I thought it was also stupid at the same time. I mean, I have been in a relationship with my girl for two years, and I have never doubted my choice. Those memes are for ones who have just started dating.
Oh, boy, was I wrong. Quarantine definitely causes more problems than finding a clean shirt before a Zoom meeting.
The pandemic thing stresses me out a lot. I loved running around the city with my coffee cup and being all that “very busy man” person. I loved having a beer with my friends after a long working day. I loved going out on weekends. Now, that those things are gone, it seems like the colors got drained out of my life, and there are very little sources of happiness left.
Then I thought that maybe, okay, this is the perfect time to chill out a bit. After all, I was luckier than the others. I did not have to move back to parents (God, I am so happy student years are over), I still have my job, and I am spending the quarantine not alone. So maybe, there was a little happiness left.
So you see, I have already mentioned that I am constantly busy and I value the free time that I spend with my friends. The thing I love about my girlfriend so much is that she totally shares my views. I mean, she works a lot as well, and she likes to visit all kinds of cozy coffee shops with her friends (I think, she knows every place where they serve coffee in the city). So we are both okay with having our personal space. It always made our relationship fresh, I guess. She is the first one that does not call me if I do not answer her message in a beat, and I love her for that.
Guess what - it is not as easy to maintain a personal space when you literally have no way out, no things to do, and no friends to go grab a beer with. Moreover, they mostly have the same struggle as you do.
Yes, being locked up in a small apartment with your significant other is a struggle.
In the beginning, I was happy to spend so much time with her. She looked cute when she overslept (quarantine is like that, yes), I shared all the meals with her which tasted much better than greasy substances that they call food in the office. I enjoyed our Netflix and chill like a lot! Moreover, it could be at any time of the day when we felt like it. It looked like this perfect relationship that they love to put in the TV programs.
But, man, it got ugly lately. We stopped changing our pajamas, sex is not something special, it is like we are doing it out of boredom, and we stopped shaving. I have not noticed that before. Then I came across the meme (yes, maybe I am into them too much) about couples that let themselves go. And I realized we were that couple!
So I wanted to spice up things between us, make the relationship fresh again. I did not find a better answer as having a date. I mean, it is a perfect way to remember that you are actually in a romantic relationship. You are not just people who live together and apparently have sex. It was a good excuse to change my looks to the point where I get not scared while looking in the mirror.
Well, I realized that an ordinary date will not work. Restaurants, cinemas, parks even are not an option. I did my research and found at-home date ideas out there. We have already tried them all, and it is a blessing. I finally feel like a man and not an animal again, I enjoy having sex not for sex`s sake, I do not feel like being trapped in these walls with my girlfriend. I enjoy spending time with her again.
So here we go! If you want to spend this quarantine without a break-up, try these 7 best at-home ideas!
Dinner
So it is a traditional dinner date, but it does not happen in a restaurant.
I thought about what was the best way to do it: a take-out from a restaurant or the meal that I prepared myself. The first choice is much easier, obviously. Yet, I had a lot of time and I remembered how I liked cooking before I got absorbed in the work and my girlfriend took over the kitchen anyways. So I decided to go for cooking a meal.
I must admit, I had a lot of fun. Trying new recipes out and discovering the kitchen all over again was a great stress-reliever. I went into the date with the nicest mood possible. Spoiler: she loved my cooking!
Before starting to cook, I sent her a text message with a so-called invitation. I also asked her not to enter the kitchen and put something fancy on.
When the table was set (flowers, good dishes, candles, nice tablecloth), I met her in our living room. And she looked amazing.
You know, it is drastic when you see her in pajamas for a week, and then you spend hours not seeing her, and then there are an evening dress and red lips.
We had an amazing dinner date, and the best continue of it possible - she washed the dishes. I am just kidding though. Sex was amazing.
Picnic
“How are you going to make a picnic, if you are not allowed to do this outside?”, you ask. We did a picnic, and we did not break the rules. Indoor picnics are a thing now, apparently.
We both worked for making this happen. She just has a better eye on the decorations, and I was up to cooking again.
So she brought her favorite house plants and a big blanket to our balcony. She even found a podcast with river flowing and birds singing. The atmosphere was amazing.
I was responsible for the basket. It did not take a lot of time and cooking skills. Some sandwiches, cut up fruits, a bottle of wine, and off you go. So it was a lot easier to prepare than the last one.
We watched the sunset over the rooftops, birds changed to jazz, and city lights were our stars. It felt so extremely good to lie next to her without talking, and the world was getting dark and quiet.
Drive-In Theatre
No, not every cinema is closed.
I was a little skeptical about such an experience. I mean, you have to pay to watch a movie that you could have watched at home. But I had my date list and no one could stop me.
I bought some snacks in advance and found a drive-in theatre nearby. It was all it took me to organize the date.
So I have mentioned, that I was skeptical. I must admit, I was wrong. Watching a movie at home was a part of our quarantine routine. I paid a little amount of money, and we both felt like things are back to normal again. We had people around us, and the screen was big.
We pretty much enjoyed the film and the experience overall. My girlfriend said it somehow felt very romantic, even though we have just sat in the car.
Play Question Games
Do you remember your first date?
It is the time when you get the most information about the person. After the sixth date or so, you start to just find out how her day went and generally get to know updates on what you already know. You already know her parents, coworkers, friends, passion, and hobbies so it seems like nothing more can come up.
However, question games like Would you rather or 20 questions will prove you wrong. We did not have the game and did not feel like ordering one and waiting for it to come, so apps seemed quite okay.
It was super funny. Watching a person who decides if it is better to eat shit that tastes like chocolate or chocolate that tastes like shit is hilarious. See it from my perspective. My S.O. is quite shy and easily disguised by things. So the look on her face, when she was trying to seriously think about her choice, was priceless. For those who are interested, she chose shit that tastes like chocolate.
Afterward, we somehow moved to the 20 questions that make another person fall in love with you. It was an extremely curious experience. I think I got a deeper understanding of her personality than I would ever be able to. And yes, I fell in love with her all over again.
After this kind of date, I felt like spending so much time together is not a bad thing after all.
Read Books Aloud
So we both love a great story. As soon as the quarantine started, we picked up a reading challenge (she is leading now). We usually sit together and read in silence.
We thought, however, why not take this to the next level? So we started reading our favorite passages or poems to each other.
I came to like her stories a lot. Now I have ten more books on my reading list and a question: why did not we do this earlier? She also claims that she loves my voice and tone a lot when I read what I like. She claims to genuinely enjoy my readings and who am I to say no when she is asking for it over and over again?
Create a Bucket List
So quarantine is getting too long, and we are getting too bored. We watched all the kinds of movies and she said once: “I want their lives”. Well, why not?
We love people on the screen because their lives seem to be so interesting! They are full of adventures and challenges. We decided to make a bucket list of things we have to do after the quarantine. We have one as a couple, and every one of us has one of their own. It was a lot of fun to make, while we were imagining all the places we will go to, all the hotels we will stay in and all the night adventures that we will create.
My girl also decided to do it all fancy and creative, so it was kind of scrapbooking hour. Glue, glitter, and paper straps were everywhere, but we both genuinely enjoyed it.
Have a Bubbly Bath Together
This one was my favorite. It was not the most comfortable, however.
So we bought bath bombs, flowers (we decided against roses though, it seemed too cheesy), candles, and wine. I have almost felt the pleasant water on my skin.
Still, deciding on the temperature was a whole new kind of art. She loves it hot! We managed to make it comfortable for both of us (mostly the argument that I am warm and she will not freeze near me worked).
We had amazing music, the aroma was heaven and it was the most relaxing date in my life. We loved it so much that we continue doing it every week, that tells a lot about the idea.
So these were 7 best at-home date ideas that we have tried out and which got our stamps of approval. I hope, you will enjoy it as much as we did!
Stay home and do not break up!
