Growing up I always looked forward to the day I started living with my partner. Even when my now-husband and I were dating, I always imagined what it would be like waking up next to him every day, our eyes locking each morning, making breakfast and dinner together over a glass of wine and some passionate love making after. Not once did it ever cross my mind that staying with someone and getting to know them through and through would be so hard the first year of marriage.

As you and your partner adjust to your new roles, the first year is full of changes and adjustments. You’ve grown accustomed to a certain way of life over the years. You have your own set of routines and pace of life, and now you have to share them with a new person. You must adjust to each other’s tastes, preferences, habits, and ways of life. It can frequently cause initial difficulties in your life.