You ask, I'll answer

How do you and Kenyon do it? How do you maintain a relationship when you travel so much?

Since Kenyon and I met, I have been hopping on airplanes and flying around the world. Taking me to and picking me up from the airport has been part of our routine from the beginning (though the frequency has increased significantly with this job). it is part of the rhythm of our lives.

When we were dating I made it very clear, my life is unconventional. I don't expect that to change any time soon. If you are looking for a wife that will be home for dinner every night (or fix dinner for that matter) then you will have to look elsewhere. That is not the package I am offering (and for the record, I was not so bold or self-aware in my early dating years). I believe part of why I was put on earth is to do this kind of work. it is a priority to me and not something I was willing to compromise. He was the only guy I dated who not only accepted the terms, but supported the cause without reservation.

So, we make it work. Technology helps. We can talk every day and communicate throughout the day for pennies on the dollar. But, I think more than that it is because we are in this together. This is our work, not just my work. We are a team and he is a contributing member of the team.

My ridiculous travel schedule poses some relational challenges (like making friends in a new town), but I also think it has some benefits. In marriage couples set up patterns of behavior. I've always called these patterns unwritten contracts. Who does the dishes, takes out the trash, whose career takes priority, ways we greet and part from one another...these all become routine with expected patterns of behavior. If expectations change, patterns have to be negotiated. In our marriage, since there is no routine, we discuss these things regularly. We are forced to communicate about things that are often taken for granted in other marriages. Also, because our time together is limited, we cherish it. We don't let things fester, we deal with it when it happens because the next trip (physical separation) is around the corner and we don't want to waste our time together being upset. These things have been valuable in setting the foundation of our young marriage. Like the work I am paid to do, we are in this relationship together, we value it and we are committed do what it takes to make it a success.

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