1. What kind of work do you do, and what is your daily schedule like?
Dan: I work in the legal field. My hours are relatively normal . . . but, I'm always up by 5 a.m. and (sadly) in bed by 10 p.m.
Eric: I oversee concessions for a shoe label, so I travel a lot. My schedule is fairly consistent, but my day could occur in many different places.
2. What is the single piece of marriage advice you'd offer to newly engaged couples, or the best marriage advice you've ever received?
Dan: I'd tell newly married couples to always try to see the fun in every situation . . . which isn't alway easy, but if you can manage to do it even half of the time, you're in good shape! The best piece of marriage advice I've ever gotten was from my parents, who have been happily married for 47 years. They always say that no matter how different two people might seem, as long as their hearts are in the same place, nothing else really matters. I love that, and it's definitely true.
Eric: I'd tell newlyweds to contribute everything they can to their lives together. The day is long, and you can always give more. The best piece of marriage advice I've gotten was to always be kind . . . and if you can't always be kind, vacuum. Just kidding.
3. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about one another in your first year of marriage?
Dan: Over the course of our marriage, I've learned that there's almost nothing around the house that my husband can't do. I swear. He'll cook dinner, wallpaper a room, wire a chandelier, lay a floor. It's almost overwhelming how handy he is.
Eric: I was really surprised at what an early riser Danny is. He's always up early. He's taken the dog out, fed him, made himself a cup of coffee, and run errands all by 7 a.m. It's kind of amazing . . . and slightly unnerving.
4. When is the typical time you reserve to spend together or go on dates, and what activities do you enjoy together?
Dan: It might be cliché, but we try to spend Friday and Saturday nights together. Most of the time, we stay in and watch television and just enjoy each other. We work a lot, so it always feels like a treat to just relax together.
Eric: We try to spend our weekend nights at home together. Sometimes, we make plans to go out, but usually end up staying home with our little pug, making dinner, drinking coffee, then falling asleep in front of the television. We're homebodies . . . it's nice.
5. How has your relationship changed since you’ve been married?
Dan: We are exactly the same. But, being married feels empowering. I'm proud of our marriage. We fought for it, and so did countless others before us. We don't take it for granted.
Eric: I really don't think our dynamic changed at all. Truly. We've been an old married couple since we met.
