The Journal
Field notes on dating, gifting, and staying close, grounded in the research on how couples actually work.
How to feel closer to your partner
Closeness isn't one grand gesture. It's a handful of small habits, and the research is unusually clear on which ones.
Relationships
Do you actually know your partner?
Not their coffee order. The thing they're quietly worried about this week.
The smallest moment in your relationship
It's not the anniversary. It's the "hey, look at this" you almost ignored.
Build a ritual, not a reservation
The dessert you always split is doing more work than the restaurant.
Say the thing out loud
You admire your partner constantly. They almost never hear it.
For the one who plans everything
You shouldn't have to plan your own celebration. But you also don't have to wait.
Remembering the date is the gift
Showing up on time, prepared, unhurried. That's the part they actually feel.
Desire & long love
Dating
The first date is not an interview
Stop auditioning. The good ones are built on curiosity, not a résumé.
How to date on the apps without losing yourself
The apps aren't the problem. The way we've been taught to use them is.
What your texting says before you do
The waiting games, the dry replies, the double-text panic. Most of it is anxiety wearing a costume.
How to have the "what are we" conversation
The talk everyone dreads is usually shorter, kinder, and less catastrophic than the months of guessing it ends.
Write the list, then ignore half of it
Your checklist of must-haves barely predicts who you'll actually fall for. The research on this is humbling.
How to get back out there
There's no clean timeline for dating again. But there are better and worse reasons to start.