How And Where To Meet During Self-isolation?

These are difficult times. We are all under constant stress. The alarm is fueled by the media, which daily provide us with not the most rosy information. How to maintain relationships with your soul mate in such conditions and please each other? What if cafes, cinemas and other establishments are closed?

The content of the article

• 1 Ingenuity and distance
• 2 Michelin stars at home
• 3 Virtual museums
• 4 Dance class by the sofa
• 5 Try in quarantine
• 6 Postscript

There is an exit. And not even one.

Ingenuity and Distancei

In a recent article, The New York Times reported on couples who manage to go on dates keeping their distance. The ingenuity of these people and their ability to find a way out in difficult situations are definitely worthy of attention.

Nineteen-year-old Ellie Reed from Oxfordshire drove about ten miles to the home of her boyfriend Jordan Cadman. A courier from Domino's Pizza was in a hurry to deliver the guys a pepperoni pizza and two pies - a sweet one for Ellie and a Texas one for Jordan.

After receiving their loot, the couple got into different cars and headed out on a date. The meeting point is the channel. The boys parked six feet apart, rolled down their windows, and began to eat. Here is such a date - it seems to be together, but it seems to be apart.

Until recently, Ellie and Jordan met every day. Everything has changed since the coronavirus panic took over the world. The precautions are justified - 20-year-old Jordan has asthma. This makes him even more vulnerable to Covid-19.

“It's so hard not to be able to hug him. But I understand that this is about keeping him alive,”says Miss Reed.

The coronavirus outbreak has forced us to stop going to restaurants, bars, museums, theaters and other public places. But this does not mean at all that there is no room for romance in our life. Eating pizza in the parking lot is just one of the many ways to organize a romantic date.

In such circumstances, it seems easier to give up dating altogether than come up with some dodgy plans and try to combine romance and social distancing. But Dr. Racine Henry, a New York-based marriage and family therapist, fundamentally disagrees. She continues to advise her clients even during the pandemic - but already online. Henry believes that giving up dating is not a good idea, as it is critical to maintaining a healthy relationship.

“During normal times we go out on dates, as it helps us to diversify our routine and daily life. It's the same here,”says Henry. Racine also mentioned that social distancing and other "delights" of quarantine can negatively affect our psycho-emotional state. Monotony leads to a range of emotions, from frustration to anger and apathy.

“It doesn't matter if you keep your distance or not - you still want to spend time with this person, create new pleasant memories and remind yourself of why you are together. Unplug your phone, get in the mood and set aside time in your schedule for romance and reunion with your partner,”advises Henry.

Not sure where to start? Zero ideas and no inspiration? We invite you to spy on other couples who are willing to generously share their experiences.

Michelin stars at home2

Cozy cafes and luxurious restaurants, favorite eateries and stalls with your favorite coffee - familiar and familiar places were closed for an indefinite period. But supermarkets - praise to heaven! - are still open. Let's go for a gastronomic shopping and a luxury restaurant at home.

Love Japanese food and are worried that your favorite restaurant is closed? Talk less, work more! Jenn and Max Scoville from Oakland, California decided to cook their favorite dish, shabu shabu. If you are interested in looking at their efforts, you can go to Jenn's Instagram - @gennhaver.

The guys decided to get confused - they not only cooked a dinner worthy of a Japanese restaurant, but also dressed up. Mr. Scoville, thirty-three years old, is a remote presenter and producer for IGN. For dinner he decided to wear one of his shirts. Miss Scoville is thirty-one years old and a dentist. More precisely, she worked until her office was closed. She went down to dinner, dressed in a black dress. Jenn did not forget about her hairstyle with make-up - false eyelashes complemented her look.

“Clothes make you feel different - not like any other day when you guys cook for each other,” says Jenn. She mentioned that her outfit for the evening was “one step higher” than her Back Street Boys T-shirt she had worn for the past three days.

Dr. Henry has dedicated an entire book ("A Palate For Love") to describing the effect of targeted cooking on her significant other. “This is the most versatile way to receive and express love,” she explains.

If no one in your pair has any culinary skills, no problem. You can use this time to experiment with different recipes and strengthen your bond. This is the opinion of Avital Ungar, the founder of the Avital Tours culinary company, which holds events in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Ms Ungar has recently shifted her company's focus away from personal restaurant tours to virtual cooking and mixology lessons led by chefs and bartenders.

“Couples play with different flavors and recipes, which opens up space for creativity and experimentation. Once they sit down to eat together, the food itself becomes the catalyst for deep and meaningful conversation,”explains Ungar.

Virtual museums3

In 2013, 32-year-old Somin Densiger and 31-year-old Lilly Densiger from Manhattan met for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art and vowed to celebrate each future anniversary at the Museum of New York.

For five years, the couple maintained the tradition. And even the coronavirus will not be able to interfere with their plans - you can now visit museums online!

“I have chronic pain, so I always run out of energy very early on,” says Mrs Dansinger, a freelance writer and editor. She also adds that this problem can be easily solved if you walk around the museum without getting up from the couch.

“In addition, the visit was free and the shoes were optional,” adds Mr. Dansinger.

Mr. Dansiger is head of operations for Gracefully, a three-point gourmet food market in Manhattan. He continues to work and interact with both colleagues and customers on an ongoing basis. In addition, he appreciates the time spent with his wife at home in a new way.

“Every exit on the street seems unreal. Seeing New York so quiet every day as if it’s Christmas morning is very strange. It looks like a wasteland. But then I go back to the apartment and it's nice and warm, and life seems to be quite normal, which just makes me feel like in a movie,”says Mr. Dansinger.

Dance class at the sofa4

“I always thought it would be cool to do it after Monica and Ross from Friends,” says Denver Mattos. He is 33 years old and is a tour guide at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California. Mr. Mattos is on paid vacation and has decided that now is the perfect time to study choreography. He invited his wife Heinlen (she is 31 years old) to a dance lesson.

“It's just like regular dating - we agreed on a time, set a plan and stuck to it,” Denver says.

Try in quarantine5

Top ideas for hanging out with couples:

• Prepare a new dish together;
• Wander through virtual museums;
• Go on a trip and visit the top of the volcano online;
• Reading books to each other out loud while drinking wine;

• Have a picnic on the balcony or in the yard of your own home;
• Settle down at night on the grass and look at the stars or spend the night in a tent;
• To please each other with breakfast in bed;
• Arrange a karaoke bar at home;
• Play Never Have I Ever;
• Arrange a date via video link;
• Write love letters to each other and read them out loud (candles and wine will not interfere);
• Arrange a home photo session.

Postscript6

If you voluntarily observe self-isolation or are forced to do so in connection with a government decree in your country, the choice of locations for dating is very limited. Does this mean that you should get bogged down in a routine and forget about romance?

In no case! Cross off items from our list methodically and enjoy each other. Even if you live separately, this is not a reason to be lazy - you have the blessings of civilization at your disposal in the form of the Internet, video calls and semi-sweet red wine.