About a year ago, my girlfriend told me that she was going to apply to study abroad for the fall of our senior year. A million emotions went through my mind. In truth, I was devastated. My girlfriend is my best friend and soulmate and I had absolutely no idea how I was going to function without her for a whole four months. I was also excited for her. She loves travelling and an opportunity to study abroad is wonderful for her. But, mostly, I was upset.
As fall grew closer, it became clear this was actually going to happen, and I became more and more emotional. I would have nights where I would just cry in her arms because I was convinced that she would break up with me before I left (this did not happen). I had days where I helped her plan what to bring and where to go and was genuinely excited and happy for her. I also had moments where I was worse than the overly-attached girlfriend meme and I would just beg her not to leave me.
But, Sept. 1 came and I went with her and her family to the airport to see her off. I am proud to say I did not create a scene in the airport and managed to keep my tears to a minimum. Though, I think my crying still scared her family a bit, since they've never seen me be very emotional. After, I spent the whole next week crying to my friends.
I have quickly learned that being in a long-distance relationships has definite pros and cons.
The Cons: Besides the obvious (that we are not together, so we cannot see each other every second, hug each other when we are sad and share the little moments together) there are some little things I didn't even realize would suck. First, there is always at least a five-hour time difference. Sometimes, if she travels to another country for the weekend, it is more. That means it is even more difficult to coordinate when to speak because one of us could be asleep while the other is eating dinner. Also, most of the time, service sucks. Even the best Wifi is sketchy to the point where our new favorite phrase to each other is WHAT?! CAN YOU HEAR ME??? It makes it hard to have any kind of deep conversation. If we call each other on the phone, we have to keep track of minutes because long-distance plans are expensive. Lastly, we can't be there for each other like we're used to. I am so accustomed to calling her when I am upset and, within five minutes, hearing a knock at my door and getting a hug. Though we still call each other when we are sad, it's not the same.
The Pros: There are some positives, though, that I didn't realize would happen. We say "I love you" a lot more. We've come to appreciate each other so much more now that we're so far apart, and I think it's helped both of us realize how important our relationship is. We also don't fight about the little things. When we spend a lot of time together, we get to the point where we argue like an old married couple: She wants to make the bed a certain way and I don't, or I want pizza and she wants chicken and it becomes an argument. But now, we value our time to talk so much that neither of us wants to waste it arguing. Our time to talk is the highlight of my day.
Being in a long-distance relationship is not easy. I miss my girlfriend more than anything and am counting down the days until I can see her again. However, I have realized this is something that we can get through together. I am so proud of her for pursuing her dreams and am happy to wait here until she returns.
Plus, the presents she sends aren't that bad, either.
