I created this piece out of a need to find some semblance of control over my life again — my significant other had just declared his intent to join the military, and I felt like our life together had been turned upside down.

Meticulous measuring and taping allowed me to feel like I had at least one thing in my life that I could plan out and not feel helpless.

There is a happy ending to this story, though: He has done just fine in his military career, and we married two years after he joined.