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After nine months, Ashly Schmidt is ready to find out what married life is like.
She married her husband William in Florida on March 6 and spent a brief honeymoon in the Sunshine State before having to return to Saskatoon for work on March 8.
Less than two weeks later, the Canada-United States border was closed to all non-essential travel due to COVID-19.
William works and lives in Florida, where he has stayed since March.
After 287 days, Schmidt is preparing to fly to Florida for the reunion she’s been dreaming of.
“Everyone says, ‘How is married life?’ and I just have to say that it’s actually worse than dating life,” Schmidt said, “because now we don’t actually get to be together.”
The couple planned to be together sometime over the summer, but with Schmidt unable to take a large chunk of time off work and William only being allotted three vacation times a year, nearly all of their time together as a married couple has been via phone and video chat.
“We’ve kind of started to get creative on things we do together — not just Netflix at the same time,” Schmidt said. “We actually started cooking together.”
Once a week, the couple picks a new recipe and cooks it at the same time before comparing the finished product and eating together.
Cooking is just one of the many ways husband and wife have passed the time apart as they’ve racked up hundreds, maybe even thousands, of hours on the phone since March.
“We are still talking every night before we go to bed. The phone call stays on all night and then we can wake up in the morning and say good morning to each other,” Schmidt said.
After having travel plans altered or cancelled a few times, a 10-day break at work over Christmas allowed Schmidt the time needed to get away to Florida for three uninterrupted weeks with her husband.
“I’ve started to visualize the fact that I’m going to meet him at the airport, but we’re both going to be wearing masks, so my joy of seeing him and giving him a big kiss — I won’t be able to do that,” Schmidt said of the day she has imagined over and over.
With plenty of time between now and her flight taking off on Sunday, Schmidt’s idle mind is getting the better of her.
“I’m kind of nervous. What happens if my flights get cancelled? What happens if I catch a cold? Until I’m on the plane and until I’m actually touched down in Florida, I am still nervous and scared,” she said.
Schmidt said the best part of the three-week vacation is being isolated with her husband under the same pandemic rules and circumstances she has grown to hate in Saskatoon.
“As I’m sitting here and looking at snow and cold, it’s exciting to think that socially distanced we will be able to be away from everybody and walk the beach,” she said.
After spending only one day with her husband since they were married, Schmidt is beginning to feel the anticipation as the reunion approaches.
“Seeing his face and being able to be hugged by him, I can’t even explain to you the joy and the excitement that I have,” she said.
