COLUMN: Living the life of a newlywed couple
It’s 6:15 a.m. when the alarm goes off on Tuesday, which for the Beals is pretty much normal.
Now, by saying the alarm went off at 6:15 a.m., please don’t assume that means they are both awake at 6:16 a.m., since the first alarm doesn’t function so much as an indicator to get up, but is rather a reminder to hit the snooze button.
Ambria Beal, 20, and Miguel Beal, 22, like many newlywed couples, their days start early and end late. The couple has gone through many changes since being married a little more than a month ago. Both have made the transition from the convenient world of on-campus housing, to living abroad in Logan, so money can be hard to find at times, and both of them — well-known social butterflies during their unmarried years — have readily noticed the rate at which they see less and less of their friends, and more and more of each other.
The interesting note is, if you asked them or simply observed them in their everyday life, you’d find that none of this is a complaint. They continue to juggle chores by trading snooze-button shifts, until finally the clock reads 6:45 a.m. It’s now time to prepare for the day.
With such an early and abrupt start, the Beals make morning preparation simple. Bodies stay out of showers and contact lenses stay out of eyes. They throw on their clothes, brush teeth, and it’s off to a quick drive to Smith’s to catch the 7:15 a.m. bus to campus.
Ambria starts her day swiftly with a 7:30 a.m. class, so, with a quick hug and a kiss goodbye she’s off to the Fine Arts Building as Miguel heads to the Hub to kill a little morning time.
Ambria endures her two morning classes before sprinting across campus to make her 10:30 a.m. yoga class — evidently, one can’t have too much zen, even in the sanctity of marriage. She said she rather enjoys walking across campus, as it gives her a chance to meet new people, which has forever been a favorite in her long list of hobbies.
Meanwhile, Miguel spends a few hours with a close friend before class. He said he and his friend don’t do a whole lot — hanging out, staying awake and speaking Spanish to each other — outside of giving each other the motivation to head to class, which they do at 10:30 a.m., on the dot. Miguel is off to the Engineering Building for his calculus class.
It’s now 11:30 a.m. and after a long morning, the newlyweds have their first opportunity to see each other since waking up, as they enjoy a class together at the LDS Institute and take an hour break for lunch. From there, it’s off to class for an hour, then back together again for an English class at 2:30 p.m. when Ambria admits how much she enjoys her class. Miguel admits that, depending on the day, he may or may not be playing “Angry Birds.”
From here things are different by the day. Luckily, Miguel isn’t off to work — which usually goes until midnight — giving them ample time to spend together. The unfortunate catch is they don’t have Internet at home, so their time is spent on campus. They do homework, talk about their day and scope out people they may know, in hopes of catching up with old friends not bitten by the marriage bug. Before long, it’s 5:30 p.m. — time to catch another bus, jump in their Dodge Neon and make it back home the same way they came.
Finally home just past 6 p.m., they decide to “get ready for the day.” They shower, get dressed and decide to take time to enjoy an evening that is finally theirs. They have dinner, do some homework, talk a while, do some cleaning, call a few friends close by, talk some more, and find new and more clever ways to stay busy.
Though having each other can be enjoyable, they said they surely wouldn’t mind a magnified social life, which has seemed to deplete steadily since they were married. Days can get lonely and difficult, with anything and everything — including salsa making classes at Maceys — motivating them to get out and do something in their ongoing search for novelty.
It’s now 1 a.m. as Miguel creeps into the bathroom to prepare his toothbrush and, in the most delicate way, does the same for his wife. He brings it to her, much to her contentment, as they brush their teeth together and giggle at each other for reasons they may not even know. In a day where they hardly get a glimpse of friends, family and numerous forms of spontaneity, they forget somewhere in the mix just how little they see of each other.
This, in itself, is probably why it is such a comfort, in such a hectic life, they can at least enjoy time laughing and fighting gingivitis together, and reminding themselves why they “jumped the broom” in the first place. It’s just the motivation they need to do it all again, tomorrow morning.
— steve.schwartzman@aggiemail.usu.edu