Sometimes the best thing for your relationship is what you don't do. My wife and I each need time to ourselves, both because of the kinds of work we do and because we each need personal downtime to unwind.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say, and sometimes there's nothing like a long car trip with the guys to make you long for the company of your partner. I realize this list doesn't sound super-romantic so far
My wife does her research. She's not prone to casually spouting off about things she knows nothing of. She has opinions, some of them quite strongly held, but they're informed opinions. Not to get all Machiavellian, but both people in a relationship need their partner to be an asset and not a liability.
When my wife suggested we travel to a major American city to participate in a mass protest, my initial reaction was roughly "I don't see how it helps the cause for us to get abused by police.
Although I usually don't appreciate it at the time, in the grand view I'm really thankful that my wife lets me know when I'm slipping up. This gives me an opportunity to see my role in our relationship more clearly, and make adjustments where necessary.
They aren't always the most pleasant conversations at the time, but my wife is willing to disagree with me and defend her perspectives with reference to a great deal of evidence, which means that, even if I don't share her perspective on every issue, I at least have a more complex understanding than I did before we talked.
We've been together for years and have seen each other naked thousands of times, but my wife still keeps track of my tastes in shoes, clothes, makeup, and hair, and incorporates my preferences into her personal style.
My wife likes to go around the house naked, and while it's not for my benefit, I nevertheless enjoy it.
When I see her take time to play with the cats or share kind words with a friend on the street, I'm reminded again of what a compassionate person she is.
It's not the skiing itself, but seeing her excel at something she loves doing makes her very attractive coming down the mountain in her ski gear. If my wife was passionate about playing the drums, I'd probably fall in love with her again watching her pound the skins.