Good morning.
My name is Aaron Hwang.
I'm a student here at BU studying chemical engineering.
Like a lot of engineers I spend a lot of my time thinking about things and
one thing that I'm thinking about a lot recently is about love.
My two year anniversary with my partner is coming up,
you know, the last year of our relationship has been during COVID.
There's no doubt about it.
Our relationship has definitely changed because of the pandemic.
I am curious to hear my partner Jamie's opinion on this.
Let me call her up now.
We'll see what she says.
Hi Jamie, I'm having a massive brain fart.
Do you wanna refresh my memory as to what we did for dates and
to spend quality time together before and after COVID.
>> Well, I feel like a lot of what we had been doing at the time right was going out
to places we'd like take the T to just go somewhere random.
Go get food, somewhere like go to the park.
A lot of it revolved around seeing each other.
When BU told us to leave, we all of a sudden did have to go long distance for
a few months before.
We also then had to readjust and move in together.
>> But even though we were back in person,
we still have to consider all these safety considerations, who I'm seeing at work.
People that we interact with, when we go to the grocery store, we couldn't just go
on our adventures again, >> All of a sudden,
that equation goes from just you and me to you meet and literally everyone else that
we could ever interact with ever, both on campus and in Boston, which just makes it
that much harder to think about that much harder to maneuver around.
I love you Jamie.
Thank you for coming on this call and talking.
I always love hearing your thoughts.
>> I love you too. Bye. >> You know,
frankly I don't think that these challenges are unique to Jamie and I.
I am curious to see what other couples have done to kind of adapt to their
new normal of their relationship.
Let's call another couple, couples.
[LAUGH] Another couple couples and we will see what they say.
[SOUND] Hello Mercy and Nichole.
>> Hi Cam.
>> Hi Jake.
Thanks for coming on and talking about your relationship.
I just wanted to hear your story.
What was life like before COVID and >> once the pandemic started,
did you guys move in together?
Was it long distance?
Like what was what was all that like?
>> We matched on Bumble pre COVID.
And then over spring break is when the school was like, yeah,
we're gonna shut down campus.
If you're gone, please stay gone.
And I was like, no.
>> Yeah, so we've been together for almost four years now.
Now and and we were long distance for one year which was very difficult.
A lot of texting, a lot of FaceTime.
>> We went studying abroad, which was amazing.
We were actually in Berlin when we got the e-mail that we were being sent back home
because of COVID.
A lot of tears, people were staring at us.
>> I personally didn't know if it was going to go anywhere after that,
because I was like, well, I've only known him for a little while.
And like now we're going to be opposite coasts, and
that's just not going to be very easy to do.
>> When we got back here we decided to kind of move into my house like
with my mom, with my grandma and my dog.
Very tiny apartment.
[LAUGH] >> We had to like fast track the whole
determining what it was thing because I wanted him to come visit.
Then we decided we were going to be dating and now we're here.
>> I think it was good to have someone to talk to during those first few months
of COVID.
>> We are lucky to live in the same like city and be able to,
like quarantine and like stay together in the same place.
>> Made us become more kind of,
like learn about like the domestic parts of what relationship like before.
We weren't really like living living together.
Like we didn't really get that part but
I will be like, are you doing the dishes tonight?
I'll be like, yeah, fine, I'll do it but you gotta do tomorrow.
Like stuff like that.
>> I think that for a lot of people it's been the opposite they're in the same
place and all of a sudden they're long distance.
Do you have any advice for people who are all of a sudden long distance or
all of a sudden are living in the same place?
>> Yeah. Long distance sucks, honestly.
Like it's just so hard.
I never want to do it again.
I feel for all the, like the couples out there that are like having to
do long distance now because of COVID it's just so hard.
>> Like communication really is so
important even like if you like having a meal like sharing that.
>> Communication is key as well even in person, especially like.
>> Boundaries like, hey, I need some alone time right now like you need alone time.
Everyone needs alone time.
>> Plan like little dates where you are intentionally paying attention to your
significant other.
>> Yeah, so I'm like no phone time is good.
>> Honestly, you both should be like relationship counselors.
This is like amazing advice.
What about new couples?
What's the experience been like?
Any advice for people who are starting to date during COVID?
>> Just embrace that it's different.
Make sure they're the type of people who you may be able to hang out with
during COVID.
Make sure that they're not like going out and doing whatever.
And like not really caring about everybody else's safety because that means they
don't care about your safety either.
I think that was the most important thing for me.
>> This is really interesting to hear about your experiences.
>> Bye, thank you for having us.
>> Have a great weekend.
Thank you so much.
>> Bye. [LAUGH]
[MUSIC]
>> Wow, wow.
>> I'm just so inspired.
Honestly, I love love and I love when that's just really appreciated.
I don't think that these ideas of communication and
trust are unique to romantic relationships, you know, at all.
These are things that any relationship faces.
Friends, family...if you have time today or
tomorrow definitely call up someone that you love.
It can be your significant other or your friend or family member and
just let them know that you love them and that you're here for them.
Best of luck with the loves in your life and to Jamie happy two years.