I’m going to be frank, long distance isn’t easy. It isn’t easy going from seeing each other every single day to being over 3,000 miles apart. It isn’t easy going from the “When are you coming over?” texts to the “Wish you were here” texts. It isn’t easy going from saying, “I love you” to typing it. But what I will tell you is that to me it’s all worth it.
I’ve been dating my boyfriend for a year and a half now and 9 months of that has been long distance. It’s been an on and off 9 months, 3 months together, 3 months apart, 4 months together, 5 months apart and so on, you get the idea. But regardless of when and how long we’ve had to do long distance, I’ve learned more about the relationship, and myself as a matter of fact, than I could have ever imagined.
I never realized how much my boyfriend has taught me until he was on the other side of the country. He’s taught me what it feels like to be so incredibly happy that you can’t stop smiling. He’s taught me what it feels like to miss someone so much that it hurts. He’s taught me that sometimes just knowing someone is there for you is all you need. He’s taught me how to put someone else before myself. He’s taught me that someone can make you cry both tears of joy and sadness. He’s taught me that it’s not about how much you talk, it’s about what you say when you do. My boyfriend has taught me that when someone means so much to you the distance between you two means so little.
Along with my boyfriend, the distance itself has also taught me a few things. It’s taught me that you have to learn how to trust someone. It’s taught me that communication is key. It’s taught me how to be independent. It’s taught me how important friendships are in your life. It’s taught me that you can be there for someone without actually being there. Distance has taught me a relationship is more than just physically being together.
Even though I’ve learned so much, saying goodbye never gets any easier. Long distance is always hard at first, but it does get better. So let me just say, yes, long distance sucks and no, it’s not for everyone, but to me, it’s all worth it when someone special walks into your life.
