Dating during a pandemic is extremely exhausting and frustrating! When everything got shut down, it made it extremely hard to see my boo. Restaurants, movies, arcades, amusement parks and even some outdoor parks were closed. A couple weeks went by where we could not see each other and campus shutting down until the fall is what really made the situation hard because we live far apart and sometimes it was a hassle going to see each other. However, it got better in June when we started working together.
Before the pandemic, we both had jobs at the housing office at Tech and when students were sent home, they needed others to fill in. I began working at the end of May and he came around the middle of June.
Working together made it more convenient for us to see each other; there were times where we would just grab food and sit in the car and eat. Other times we would just sit in the car and talk for hours or wander around west campus. We’d have study dates and go out to each other’s house for the day and do our work, since we were both taking summer classes as well. Although these are regular activities, enjoying each other’s company was something we strived to do. Also, I realized these small things were something we took advantage of before the pandemic but now just wanted to make the best of the situation.
In July and going into August, things got better since some places were opening. We started going to the drive-in movies, which was so fun! I hadn’t been since I was a kid and it brought back so many great memories! We’d get ice cream at Kilwins in Atlantic Station and try Jenni’s Ice Cream, which was delicious. There were also a couple of restaurants we tried, like Fox Bros. BBQ–which has delicious pulled pork– and Orient Express, which is a cute hibachi place we found near Cumberland, Georgia.
Also, seeing each other less allowed us to be with our families more and reconnect and I think that was a major positive for us both. Being with someone almost every minute of every day can be a lot especially in a relationship, so I think it was a break that we needed.
The time apart also allowed us to appreciate each other more because we were no longer together a lot. Overall, I think we ourselves became more mature, which caused our relationship to grow as well.