After getting married, most couples look forward to living together and creating a family. However, this was a little delayed for science teacher Megan Encarnacion. With her husband getting his master’s degree in Pennsylvania, the two started their married life living states apart. That’s what made it so special that Encarnacion got to spend the summer with him in Philadelphia.
“When Ricky, my husband, accepted the master’s program in Pennsylvania, I knew living apart from him right after getting married was going to be weird. We both knew we could make it work even though it was going to be difficult. So I really just wanted to spend the summer with him and also live life,” Encarnacion said.
Leaving on June 10 and coming back to Nebraska on August 2, Encarnacion spent almost two months in Pennsylvania. Since she didn’t fly to Pennsylvania, Encarnacion decided to make the drive a trip in itself.
“I drove, so it was about 21 hours each way, and I broke it into two days each time. On the way there, I got to check Ohio off my state list and it was probably my favorite stop. On the way back, I also got to check off Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware,” Encarnacion said.
When she arrived in Philadelphia, Encarnacion’s husband was working and attending school, so she had a lot of free time on her hands. To pass this time, she would plan out activities ranging from school work to getting some fresh air.
“I actually worked on school curriculum and ended up redoing 10 of my units. But other times, I would take the dog and we would go explore because we lived in a really nice old neighborhood,” Encarnacion said.
Encarnacion also had some fun adventures with Ricky, such as visiting downtown Philadelphia.
“When Ricky was with me, we went and saw the traditional attractions, like the Liberty Bell and all of that historical stuff in downtown Philly,” Encarnacion said. “It was really funny to watch him nerd out about all of the historic sites downtown because I’ve seen them before, so it was fun to see it through his eyes.”
While there, Encarnacion and her husband got to try a lot of the city’s foods that were new to them. Due to her food allergy, it can be hard for Encarnacion to find restaurants with gluten-free foods, but Philadelphia had multiple options.
“Ricky and I would try new foods, and the city actually had a lot more gluten-free options, so I was able to eat a lot of different foods. I also had some of the best ice cream of my life there,” Encarnacion said.
With over one thousand miles in between each other for the first six months of their marriage, however, neither the food nor the attractions could come close to being Encarnacion’s favorite part of her summer. For the two, spending as much time together as they could was most important.
“My favorite part of visiting was living with Ricky. That was nice because we hadn’t lived together since we married. We know we want to spend the rest of our lives together, so it was essential to spend as much time as possible together,” Encarnacion said.
To make the most of their time together, Encarnacion and her husband decided to venture into another state too.
“I got to go show Ricky Maine, which was really fun since I lived there for a year. We just drove up to visit Maine and got to vacation there. That was fun and definitely another one of my favorite parts,” Encarnacion said.
Although Encarnacion had an amazing time in Pennsylvania with her husband, spending the summer there might just be a one-time deal for her.
“I probably wouldn’t spend the summer there again because I am not a city kid, but it did make me appreciate the small-town life,” Encarnacion said. “I loved being out there with Ricky, and he’s actually moving back for good in mid-October, so I’m super excited that he’ll get the small-town feel.”
