Everyone expresses their love in different ways.
Some people see a relationship between monetary value and caring, taking their loved ones on elaborate trips and purchasing expensive gifts. Others place a lot of importance on things like nostalgia, time spent, and the amount of effort put into a show of affection.
Both are perfectly reasonable ways to show someone that you love them—do what works for you.
When life gets in the way, it can be difficult to give your significant other all that you know they deserve.
I would love to take my partner on a relaxing, romantic vacation at every free moment, but our reality is much more of a staycation vibe. We have jobs, pets, and budgets that have to take priority over treating one another, which means these impressive feats are few and far between.
Chris Lodge and his wife Sharon have been unable to go on vacation for a few years now.
The couple from Wollaston, Northamptonshire, haven’t gone on a trip in over six years, as both of them have full-time jobs and also care for their nine-year-old disabled dog, Dice.
Lodge spent every free weekend and evening over two years to build Sharon a paradise in her own yard.
Though he had never gardened before, the devoted husband managed to transform the couple’s old backyard and garden shed into a fully functional Tiki garden.
The project was a long and difficult process.
Lodge dug up the entire lawn, built a rope bridge out of timber and driftwood, and surrounded the yard with green palm trees and succulents.
“It has taken some time and it’s swallowed up a lot of money” Lodge says, “But it’s all worth it as long as it makes us and other people smile.”
All in all, the project has cost Chris upwards of $40,000 American.
The ‘Freaky Tiki’ hut was transformed with dried grass roofing, exotic decorations and a homemade timber bar.
“We can come down here to our tiki hut and grab a cocktail or a latte and relax,” Lodge explained.
“I decided I would bring the holiday to us.”
“We used to love our holidays but we have a big business and I work a lot,” Chris explains, “The business suddenly took off and went a bit crazy and we’ve really been pushing it so we struggle to find the time now. We haven’t been able to go on holiday for about six years.”
For Lodge and his wife, caring for their dog has also been a full time job.
“Our dog also suffers from little seizures now and then,” he explains, “So we don’t like to leave him. We’re both housebound and office-bound.”
“You feel like you’re on the other side of the world. You’d never guess you’re in the UK.”
“I want it to be a place where all our friends can come too if they’re having a bad day or feeling down,” he continues, “I want it to be a place where people can just get away.”
Though Lodge has had trouble with past projects, something about this one really brought him out of his shell.
“I have dyslexia and I always struggled with things like school,” he explains, “But when I find something I really enjoy, I put 100 percent into it and I do have a good eye for detail.”
“I just love to do things that make people happy and put a smile on their faces.”
He researched gardening techniques and tropical plants that would survive the British climate, and followed a number of online gardening tutorials.
“I didn’t have any gardening experience at all before this.”
Apart from “keeping the odd cactus or Venus fly trap on the window sill when he was younger,” Lodge reveals that this is his first attempt at a garden of any size, let alone one that took two years to create.
The project has given Lodge a newfound passion for gardening.
“I like it because it’s never done, you can always come down here and keep tinkering at it. I love that. It’s so relaxing. It’s perfect for me,” he shared.
Lodge’s success with the garden has even encouraged his friends to take up projects of their own.
“So many friends have seen what I’ve done and they’ve never been into gardening before,” he says, “But now they’re starting to take it up.”
“I love that I’ve showed people what you can achieve.”
Lodge and his wife may not be traveling out of the country for a vacation any time soon, but they’ve certainly created a paradise all of their own in which to hide away from the rest of the world and finally get the relaxation they deserve.
h/t: Yahoo Lifestyle
