Okay, I know what's running through your heads... "It'll never work" and "You guys will grow apart," oh and the classic, "What happens when you meet someone else?" These are among some of the things you hear from friends and even family when you tell them you are choosing to stay in your relationship once you decide to move hours away. I mean sure we're going to different colleges now, and sure we don't share the same zipcode any longer. But love is not measured by distance or even age (let's not forget "but you're still really young" or "why settle down now?")
I know all of this is being said with good reason and probably from their own experience, but from my point of view there is no better way to live than to take risks. I can understand how it might make sense to separate if you haven't been together for long, but in my instance we've been together for two years. How do you throw that away just because you're a few hours apart? It doesn't seem like that long, but when you consider our ages and society attempting to tear us apart, that's quite the accomplishment. Especially when your'e scrolling down your timeline only to find so-and-so is in a new week long relationship.
So what's the key to a relationship that withstands distance and time apart? I can't sit here and pretend like I'm some kind of love expert. Our relationship is just like anyone else's with it's ups and downs and regular arguments. With that being said, I'm comforted by texts and a phone call at some point in the day. That can be made difficult considering our different work and class schedules. But I can always find time to squeeze that in on my walk to somewhere or maybe during lunch. I don't always need to be talking to my boyfriend but I do like to know he's okay and possibly still breathing. Another thing that helps is Snapchat, thank God for Snapchat. It takes two seconds to snap a photo and the conversations can go on at your own convenience. Selfies are neccessary and precious because sometimes you can forget how much a face can remind you of home. Again, thanks to Snapchat for your screenshot feature, as well.
I am lucky we aren't too far apart as he is close enough to visit me on most weekends. What they say is true about absence making the heart grow fonder. You don't really notice how much you appreciate someone until you can see how much you miss them when they're not around. It's definitely hard not being able to drive up the street and visit him anytime of the week, but it makes the time spent together so much better. As much as I hate sounding like a giant cheeseball, I don't regret my decision. Deep down I know I'll always be a hopeless romantic. If you're not willing to risk it all, it isn't worth it. To all my long distance survivors, I wish you the best of luck.
