Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

The Way to a Man’s Heart Image credit to Unsplash by Raissa Lara Lütolf Armed with a glass of velvety smooth Merlot and James with an ice cold beer we joined the hustle of talking, laughing guests standing around bar tables with our behinds perched on wire barstools. While it was fun to blend in with the loud and raucous customers around us, James and I longed for a space to sit comfortably where we could talk to each other instead of shouting at each other, albeit kindly. “Should we find somewhere else to have dinner?” James yelled at me. “Sure,” I screamed back into his ear. So much fun. Leaving the warmth of those cozy blankets behind, James and I headed for a restaurant with a water view on Darling Harbour. One of our favourites is Bungalow 8 and to our delight, they had revamped their eatery into private booth spaces.  Ours was particularly intimate with a sign that implored, “Please, no sledding.” Let me emphasize that the courtyard in question was no more than a two metre sq...

Communication? Sometimes Non-Communication? On this particular date, James and I were grumpy with each other. We were away on holiday together in Bath, UK and started our day by parting ways for individual sightseeing. Neither of us felt like talking to the other and that is a huge sign of respecting each others' boundaries. If feelings are too heated, it often pays to walk away temporarily, before hurtful things are said and tempers flare beyond control. By the time we met up again, later in the day, our feelings had diluted with retrospection and deep thought - so vital in understanding ourselves and others in an attempt to be respectful and not lose our temper. The following is an excerpt from my travel journal: Our melancholy overflowed into our tiny dorm room at the YMCA. We very seriously considered cancelling the rest of our trip, and we were only 3 months in! After a thoroughly heated discussion about the pros and cons of packing up and going home, we acknowledged that thi...

In Your Very Own Private Dance Studio One of my most favourite memories, whilst living temporarily in a foreign land, was learning the Bolero dance with my husband. We knew no-one, we didn’t know the area well, and so we took it upon ourselves to learn something new; the Bolero dance. My husband is not a natural on the dance floor, not that I am either, but what I mean, is that the very fact that he willingly undertook this project with me, knowing that he was out of his comfort zone, was the most romantic thing he could ever have done. My husband the Dance Floor Hero, I was smitten. Date night is so simple to invent, with just a little creativity. Usually, it means the absolute world when one or the other partner goes out of their way to create a memorable experience. I’m curious, what seemingly uneventful experience turned out to be the most romantic date for you and your partner?