Three months ago Jenny and I did something crazy: we accepted a job offer in Michigan. We were given two weeks to prepare for the move. Nervous about the major change we were about to embark on, we spent the night eating lots of ice cream and planning on how we’d make such a drastic switch. To be frank, this is how we spend many nights regardless of the amount of stress we’re feeling.

Then, we had some second thoughts. It’s a big thing to move a hours away on such short notice. It also didn’t help that our lease won’t expire until the end of November.

Alas, this and other factors led to us retracting our acceptance of the position. Most notably, the job wouldn’t have been as ideal as we originally thought. It would have left us very little time for the most important thing in our lives: spending time together.

For some people, this was a dream job. We’d work in the same company, have free rent, free food, and have a change to secure ourselves a very favorable future. The downside is the work was tough and the hours were long. We would’ve been live-in caretakers for the elderly.

Jenny is a lot more familiar with this type of work than I am. The only time I ever helped an old woman was when one asked me to assist her to cross the street. It’s not that I’m avoiding them.  I just have one of those faces that remind them of their disappointing grandchildren.

The job was a 12-hour a day shift for six days a week. At first, we thought we’d work the 12-hour shifts together. We later learned it would be opposite shifts with one of us covering the daytime and the other covering the night shift. While great for a long-time married couple that’s sick of each other, this would destroy a newlywed couple. After three years in a relationship on opposite sides of the world, we weren’t about to sacrifice a moment apart.

If not for the opposite shifts, I think we’d be in Michigan right now. Instead, we’re sitting beside each other being goofy on Labor Day (when this was originally written…more on what we’ve been up to over the last two months later).

We may never have enough time together or feel completely satisfied. But knowing that we do have some control over the amount of time we spend apart is a rewarding eye-opener into what matters most.