My husband and I were never the types to go out on fancy dates. We treated ourselves when it came to a birthday or anniversary. But besides that? We were just happy to spend time with each other watching TV or movies at home. After we had a kid, everything changed. Since we were also dealing with a pretty major move during our daughter's first year here, our brains had absolutely turned to mush. Anything on television that required time or thought was just out the window. Plus, our time was more limited than ever.
Now things have adjusted — but it's still an expensive hassle to leave the house. When we go on dates, usually they're at odd weekend times. Like, mid-Sunday when our babysitter has a few hours available. I've accepted the time we have, but secretly wish we had gone out more back when our time was truly ours.
The time we do have is pretty much the few hours right after my daughter goes to bed. It's a tough window. It's not convenient enough to hire someone to watch the monitor while we grab a late dinner, but it's sizable enough to not want to waste the time. So I figured out the best way we could connect, and that was to start a podcast. It's called 1995 The Podcast, and we rewatch and review movies that came out in 1995. Simple, yet fun.
Even better, if it didn't work out? That was simply OK. It was inexpensive enough to be worth a shot.
We had a shaky start.
Both my husband and I worked at our college radio station back in the day, so we were both pretty familiar with chatting on a mic. But we both graduated a long time ago — so we were out of practice. I wanted to edit it down to sound as smooth as possible but ended up making our first episode, where we watched Operation Dumbo Drop, a little too choppy. Eventually, we found more of a groove, along with a nice "studio area" to record — our basement.
Most episodes are free.
Aside from podcast hosting space, the initial supplies, and the occasional movie rental, we don't have to pay to have our "movie dates." And even better, we can entertain others. My husband and I try to act as natural as possible on the podcast. We've openly disagreed about movies and point of view, and we've even recorded on days when we might not have been the biggest fans of each other. Doing the podcast together is a good way to end the day on a positive note.
It's helping me get to know him on a completely different level.
I've also learned a lot about him. For example, he watched most of these movies on television, usually on a station like TBS. That means that my husband may not have realized how much a movie has been edited since his first view back in 1995. It's really funny to see how some of these films have held up over time.
It also helped me maintain friendships.
In all honesty, it's also a good reminder to our friends that although we have a daughter now, we're still the same people. Not many people in our circle have had kids, or want to have kids, meaning that some relationships changed a little after she was born. In my head, I think they just assumed my life would be talking about dance recitals and oversharing about potty training. While my daughter is a big part of my life, it was important for people to know that I was still my own person.
We're helping preserve part of our time line.
We're also creating audio keepsakes. This might seem morbid, but my husband and I aren't going to be around forever. After experiencing the loss of my own mother, I realized that the one thing I wish I still had of her was an audio recording. But since she passed away well before the rise of iPhones, there's no way that I can rehear her voice. I don't expect my daughter to sift through all of our episodes, or even one — and I know that technology can easily change in the future. But having her know these files exist somewhere is just a nice thought.
We're also being creative.
We're creating something creative, together. Since my husband used to be part of a band, and I'm a writer full-time, it's in our blood to always have projects going. This is a big one. We don't expect 1995 The Podcast to necessarily go anywhere, or even earn a profit, but it's just a fun collaboration we can both put our names on.
I'd recommend starting a podcast to anyone.
If you're looking for a fun, not-so-expensive way to spend time with your significant other, I definitely recommend a project like this. Podcasts are fun, since you can literally talk about anything. You can also cut the project short if you start a podcast and discover you aren't really into it. It's a project you have full control over.
Make sure your first goal is having fun.
Just make sure you're in it for the right reasons. Not too many people get rich producing podcasts — it's just a good way to spend some time and possibly talk about a hobby you love. Having fun is the most important part. And even if you're not too tech-savvy, basic hosting platforms like Libsyn make it very easy for anyone to learn.
It's easier to get on iTunes than you think.
1995 The Podcast is also on iTunes, which makes it feel so much more "official." We don't know how many subscribers we have, but we do know it's the best way to tell people when a new episode comes out. While you aim for certain release dates, sometimes life has other plans. The good news about podcasting with your husband is that you can slowly work on putting together an episode all week. If you work the same hours, it's fairly easy to schedule your time.
