More than 10,000 miles apart, they dont know when theyll see each other again.
Before this, the most time theyd ever spent apart was three weeks.
(Her answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.)
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:Im Australian and have been living in New York for the past six years.
I came out to Melbourne in early March for a friends wedding and to visit my family.
It was meant to be a two-week trip.
You couldnt buy it anywhere!
Ten days into my trip, the world changed very quickly.
In mid March, Australia issued awarning telling Australians not to travel abroad.
At the same time the pandemic started to take a firm hold in the States, particularly inNew York.
A week into my trip back home, I attended my friends wedding.
It was beautiful and so great to see many old friends I hadnt seen in years.
However, I was already beginning to feel a bit nervous about the way things were heading.
It was starting to feel weird to be around so many people at once.
March 18 was when it hit home.
We both felt that it could alsoput others at riskif I did so.
I canceled my flight for that evening.
I was gutted and in utter disbelief at how much had changed in just a few short weeks.
It was a tough decision but ultimately the smartest one we could make.
My biggest fear is that Jessie and I may not get to see each other for a while.
Not knowing when we will see each other fills us with a lot of dread.
How do you feel about being in Australia during the pandemic?
This country has gone frombushfirestofloodsto apandemic, and theyre battling through it with their heads held high.
Its been incredible to see everyone come together through multiple crises and care for their fellow Australians.
He has beenstaying at homeand only leaving for essentialgrocery shoppingwhen he has to.
It sounds extreme, but he cant afford to take any risks.
Earlier in April, my mum and I sent over a bunch offace masksthat we made for him.
Hes an artist, so he has a few spare masks lying around as well.
How do you feel about your husband being in one of the worst-hit cities in the world right now?
I wish he werent there, but he is.
Hes a born-and-bred New Yorker.
Hes tough and hes been through a lot.
Im confident hell get through this too.
What has it been like to navigate a sudden long-distance marriage?
Its been super challenging, Im not going to lie.
However, I do also realize that others have it far worse than us.
We both have our health andsupportive familyaround us, so it could be a lot worse.
Thankfully, most people in our immediate circle are so far pretty healthy.
The biggest challenge is not being able to physically be around the person you love.
You dont realize how much youmiss the sensation of touchand human connection until its taken away from you.
How are you adapting to not being together during this crisis?
Thank goodness for technology is all I can say!
We speak multiple times a day on either Whatsapp, Whereby, orZoom.
We have a 14-hour time difference right now.
Both of oursleep schedulesare all over the place.
Ive been working remotely for my job in NYC from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
ET, which means I often work through the night and finish around 5 or 6 a.m. in Australia.
Jessie is a night owl anyway, so its kind of worked out.
What are you doing to feel close while youre apart?
So thats something on the cards for us to do virtually this week!
What are some of the expected and less expected changes youve seen in your relationship?
I think were more appreciative of each others company, even if its only happening virtually.
Knowing that we can get through this is a testament to the strength of our marriage.
What is keeping you optimistic through all of this?
It has to end at some point.
There are others around the world in far worse predicaments than ours.
Its important to see the silver lining, especially when times are tough.
