I've almost been with him for three years. Three years of great times, fun, love, and friendship.

My boyfriend is my best friend (sorry, I know its cliche). But we go to two different colleges, live in two different cities, and often times live two very different lives. I'm not saying our lives aren't interconnected but between school itself, friends, Greek life, clubs, and work, everything just gets in the way. I am a firm believer of finding yourself in college and being free. But what does being free mean in a long distance relationship?

It means you get to grow as a person, through your school work and your friends. Being away from my boyfriend has allowed me to grow so much, when we come back together we are able share our growth with each other and bond over how we are growing up. It means seeing each other is that much sweeter. Going without seeing him is terrible, especially when there is no end in sight, however, when we are finally reunited it means so much more to me honestly. Everyone says long distant relationships never work, and hell, they could be right, but right or wrong, being in a long distant relationship has challenged me and helped me grow so much as a person.

I remember when all that growth started. I will never forget my boyfriend's freshmen move in day. He was a part of this cool program so he got to move in even earlier than freshmen normally do. We moved him in, got food, and that was it. I remember his dad saying something along the lines of, "All right guys let's go," and his mom was crying and I was just trying to keep it together, hoping that this wasn't it.

It wasn't long until I moved into my own college. I was four hours away from home, four hours away from the greatest people I had even known, and two hours away from him. I was in college where everyone was going out and experimenting (whatever the hell that means) and here I was in a long distant relationship, desperately trying to reach him to make sure that at the end of the day, I would get to seem him again soon.

There were times where it was so beyond trying. Where I didn't want to keep it up, and he didn't either. Where the outside world seemed so much better. It was easy to turn away and walk away for awhile, but we always came back to each other.

I don't think long distant relationships are for everyone, especially not for the faint of heart. However, sometimes when you love someone you'll do anything to make it work. Relationships take all of you and so do long distant relationships, but in the end long distant relationships help you grow, and if you can make it, help your relationship grow too.