What you learn living together...

from here

You can't really anticipate what it will be like to live with a significant other until actually doing it...

Here's what I THOUGHT would be a challenge:

• Laundry - we both do this very differently
• Seeing too much of each other
• Learning gross/weird facts about each other that we didn't know before
• Having issues sharing the bathroom in the morning
• Grocery shopping - we eat very differently from each other (different foods and different portions)

Here's what has actually happened (so far, since it's only been a little over a month)

• Laundry - we do laundry separately and it's fine.  I usually do mine randomly throughout the week and sometimes on the weekend.  He does his on the weekend.  No problem!
• Turns out our schedules don't match up really well, so with the exception of bedtime we actually haven't been seeing enough of each other!  We actually miss seeing each other sometimes, because our schedules are so busy/opposite. Weird!
• We haven't learned anything crazy that we didn't already know!
• We have a few shared food items that we can get together, and in the mean time we just keep a running list on the fridge so that when one person goes, they can get what the other wants too.  And then it's the other person's turn next time. 

Things that I have learned...

• My time frame of putting things away is very skewed from his time frame... I like to have things put away right when I see it or think about it...he's more of a I'll put it away sometime this week kinda guy.  Which is probably not too far from other guys' habits.
• We use alarm clocks in very different ways!  I set 6 alarms and turn them off each time so I can get a few more minutes of sleep in between each alarm.  For some reason it's gratifying for me to fall back asleep each time.  I always think of Steve Byrne talking about how he loves sleep so much.  D is a two alarm kinda guy.  One at a really early time.  And then an hour later, another.  He gets up right away on the second.  Way different than me waking up every 7-10 minutes six times!
• Our t.v. preferences could not be more different!  With the exception of Storage Wars, anything food related, and anything on the Home channel we pretty much don't have anything in common, t.v. wise.  He is all about sports, sports, and sports!  I love watching college football from time to time, but after a while, I get tired of it.  He could watch it all day, every day...and pretty much does (and not just college...professional too! and other sports)  I wholeheartedly admit that I'm addicted to reality t.v.  I enjoy the ridiculous drama of the housewives shows, the Kardashians, and True Life.  I watch Grey's anatomy every Thursday (and have been since college) and I also watch Glee when it's on.  I have just recently gotten into "Once Upon a Time" too on abc. 

It's amazing what you learn in a month!  Although there have been (and will be) some challenges, I know that we made the right choice with taking this big step.  I do look forward to coming home every day, and even on days where I don't see him much it's nice to know that he's next to me at night and there in the morning when I wake up...well, when I wake up the first time of my six alarms that is! :)

Have you learned anything crazy or surprising after first living with a significant other?