To my amazing boyfriend,

Well, here we are. We have almost made it through our freshman year of college. I know it gets hard and you feel like giving up, but thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for not giving up on us. We started as one of the most unlikely relationships, and you caught me by surprise. How could the person I would grow to love be right in front of me all along? We could always connect and have deep conversations about everything under the sun: marriage, death, kids, life. I have always felt so comfortable around you with your charm and confidence you put off so well. You drew me in with your wit and intelligence. (I still think you were created in a lab.) Thank you for letting me get to know you.

I am sorry I judged you, and I am sorry I left you alone when you were at your lowest. Thank you for being my best friend. I think that is what makes our relationship so strong. Our friendship flourished, and a joke between two friends one day at lunch turned into a relationship I treasure. You stood by me through it all: one of my breakups and all of the drama. Thank you for not giving up during the awkward, in-between months of our friendship and relationship. Thank you for waiting for me.

You’ve always been stubborn, and you will never stand down from a fight. Nevertheless, thank you for letting me be right sometimes (96% of the time). That’s one of the things I admire about you. Your spirit and your ability to be so compassionate are among your best qualities, though life has not dealt you the greatest hand. You accepted me, and you make me feel beautiful every day. Thank you for being you.

We initially were not going to go through with the long distance; you and I were going to pursue our dreams 400 miles from each other. But I knew I wanted to be with you. So we went in pretty much blind. We did not know what to expect, and all we had were some basic tips we heard from other people. I think we have done a pretty good job, making some mistakes along the way, but ultimately learning from them. Thank you for supporting me through the good days and the bad days. Thank you for only being a phone call or text away when I need you most.

Lastly, thank you for growing up with me. Thank you for the memories, and the greatest summer of my life. I want you to know that all of this that we endure every day is worth it because I get to do it with you. I have learned so much about you and myself throughout these past few months of long distance. It has taught me to treasure every little thing we can do together including just sitting on the couch and watching movies or running errands. So here’s to more memories, mistakes, laughs and everything in between with you. I will see you very soon.

With love,

Your girlfriend