10 Ways to Love an Engineer

Trust me, I'm an engineer's girlfriend...
Not every man is an engineer, but all engineers seem to possess the stereotypical "male" qualities; strength, rationality, pragmatism, determination, diplomacy... and this Gen. Y era of engineers is also infused with the sensitivity, joy, and creativity that our grandfathers may not have been so lucky to inherit.
Both of my grandfathers, literally all of my uncles, and one of my grandmothers were engineers, so, needless to say I think I was destined to be with one. And as a musician, I was unbelievably lucky to find the whole package; an engineer/guitarist!
Me and Aaron have been together for almost two years now, and he is the reason for my blog title, Hollywood to Ohio- aka the reason I moved from California where I was born and raised to the season-bearing flatlands of Northwest Ohio- and he's every speck worth it.
I believe this combination - our engineers with spunk, passion, emotional intelligence, and all the love to give and share. So here's my advice on how to best love your engineer husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/wife/whatever...

1. Harness & Blossom Your Creativity

...for bonding purposes and both of your sanity- keep thinking of cool things to do. All of your wildest dreams for home-decorating, furniture-building, painting, composting, vacation-taking, music-making... your engineer NEEDS these ideas! He likely fell in love with you for your ability to see possibilities, and although it may seem sometimes like all of his questioning and skepticism is trying to tone down your wacky/bonkers living room decor fantasies... he's actually just trying to picture it so he can make it, perfect, for you :-*
So keep dreaming! And draw plans, do research, and be prepared to make the case for your project- it's awesome practice in convincing someone to your way- the hardest crowd who loves you is the best practicing ground for making your dreams come true, and your engineer feel so0o0o0oo loved.

2. Give Him Treats

My engineers obsessed with sour thangs. I realize as I'm writing this... "There are so many sour treats I could get for Schlubby!" (yes, Schlubby is his nickname)- ANYWAY

This goes for most people, not just engineers, but I've found that treats, surprises, extra thoughtful gestures are super appreciated and reassure your darling that they're always on your mind, which is very important, since engineers really do thrive on unsolicited love. It fills up their bank so when you freak out when a girl even looks at them, they think "agh, but she bought me Warheads..." and everything is fine again.

3. Compliment Everything You Like- Excessively

Who doesn't like compliments? What psychologist doesn't condone gratitude and appreciation for happy, healthy relationships? BOOM! Welcome to #3- perhaps one of the holistic pieces of advice on how to love your engineer best. We could all use more love and humility, and learning to passionately embrace your engineer's excellence and sincerely share your adoration is important. 

Whether he makes dinner for you, cleans up the garage, does the dishes, or brushes his teeth before kissing you in the morning- the more gratitude you can sincerely utter, the happier you both will be in the future. Sometimes it's okay even to try hard, look and see what his intentions were, and push yourself to the ultimate limits of love and appreciation, and support your engineer. 

I literally "WOOT WOOT!" and hoot and holler and scream "yeah, yeah!" when my boyfriend does something thoughtful, nice, or that he doesn't want to do. He LOVES it. He begins smiling, shaking his hips, and hooting back. I don't care how silly it sounds, it's like laughing when you're sad- you eventually end up laughing with yourself at the magical power of your will to make something amazing just by wanting it to be. 

So compliment, be enthusiastic, and push yourself to the brink of your positive emotions when they're possible, sincere, and deserved. This piece of advice will really, truly, make you and your engineer's lives more magical and enjoyable together.