19 Years Married: A REALISTIC Date Night with My Husband

Don't get me wrong—I love social media—but sometimes, I feel like it puts way too much pressure on relationships...

Grand gestures, over-the-top date nights, and bigger-than-life romance—while I love social media, I sometimes feel like it creates completely unrealistic expectations for relationships.

Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing inherently wrong with everything I just listed, and grand moments definitely have their place in a relationship. But after 19 years of marriage, I’ve come to appreciate that the less grandiose moments can be just as important.

And so, if I were perfectly honest, I’d say that ‘date night’ has a rather fluid definition in our household. Sometimes, of course, it’s flowers, champagne, and dinner out, but more often than not, it’s something much simpler and more casual—like an episode of White Lotus and takeout on the couch, a trip to our favorite furniture store, or a coffee shop date complete with croissants and a side of the latest gossip (I mean, if you can’t gossip with your husband, who can you gossip with?).

The point is—or rather, the point I’m trying to make—is that, in the end, it doesn’t really matter how you spend time together.

What matters is that you do!

So, if I were to describe a ‘date night’ scenario for my husband and me, I’d say that on a Sunday just like that, we’d probably head to Design Within Reach (the chokehold this place has on us is REAL) to check out the latest arrivals, share some tacos and quesadillas at Tu Madré in West Hollywood, and end the day with a Netflix binge. Right now, we’re obsessively watching The White Lotus, but rewatching The Office never gets old either.

Funny thing is, I wouldn’t change this for the world—I much prefer these simple little moments of happiness over everything else. So yes, there are definitely “date nights” after 19 years of marriage, but what they look like is entirely up to you.

xx Annabelle