Shared Life

I think one of the many reasons I feel in love with Matt and wanted to share my life with him was how different his upbringing was and how that had given him many different hobbies, interests and experiences. I wanted someone who would balance me, but who had the same values and morals. One thing that has always been evidently the same is our commitment to family and the importance it holds in shaping our lives.
One of the differences has been our exposure to outdoor activity. I grew up playing outside until I was either cold, it was too dark, or I got hungry. Vacations were camping, or on a lake with swimming, canoeing or kayaking. Weekends were often spent hiking in good weather, xc skiing in winter and a combination of biking, running and swimming in summer, and although I never really took to organized sports, I modeled exercise after my parents and started running on my own early in high school.
As important as differences were to me, they are always challenging to balance as you build a life together. When I would take Matt home with me to NH I'd want to run in the mornings, xc ski if the conditions were right and take the opportunity to hike if that's what my parents had planned. This was a challenge for Matt. He didn't like XC skiing, he wasn't a huge fan of hiking and wasn't interested in running. Of course he tried it all with me, but it just wasn't for him.
I knew that the longer we were together, and exposed each other to the lifestyles we were used to, we would each adapt and figure out the balance that worked for us. I'm definitely a country girl, but I've taken to city living and know I'll always be near one, largely due to Matt's influence. I grew up having home cooked meals and didn't really know anything different until Matt came in to my life and I started to appreciate eating out more, maybe a bit too much lately...
For Matt, he's grown to enjoy getting out doors and taking in what nature has to offer. He hikes with us now, has bushwhacked through local woods, and is running a 5K with me in two weeks. I know that if I want to go for a walk on the country roads I grew up on, he’ll happily join and take in the beauty with me. He sees now why hiking, as grueling as it can be, is so rewarding- it is all about the view.
This morning as we came in from a run in the park, I laughed a faux evil laugh and said, "I knew with enough exposure I'd turn you in to an outdoorsman." I of course am not out to change who Matt is. Although, it is nice when something you enjoy and cherish in your life is taken on and shared with the person you've tied your life to. When it activity based, you can partake in it together. I'm learning as we enter this life building thing together, that although differences can create a layered, fun and new experience for you, there are some things that a partner needs to enjoy too, and I'm glad that Matt is starting to share my love of experiencing a lot of life outdoors.