I have been with my boyfriend for almost three years now. I love him to death, but sometimes, I just want to wrap my hands around his neck. After being in a relationship so long, things start to change. Long-term relationships show you just how powerful loving someone else is. It also shows you just how much a person can get on your nerves. It shows you how much you want to kill someone, but you can't do it because you know you would miss them. With a little help from the show that taught me it's okay to love someone and hate them at the same time, I would like to tell you what it's like to be in a long-term relationship.

1. You fight over nothing

Honestly, I can't remember the last argument we had that was over something serious. We've had arguments over where we're eating, who's paying for what, which movie we want to see and who has control of the radio. Yeah, I know that those are stupid things to argue over, but hey, it can be funny sometimes.

2. You have no problem calling each other names

Calling each other names can actually turn into a competition to see who comes up with the best name! What started out as a plot to hurt the other person's feelings becomes an elaborate scheme to come up with the funniest name possible to call them.

3. You stop worrying about impressing them

In the beginning, you do anything to look nice. Makeup, hair, clothes, etc. Everything has to be perfect. By the time a year and a half rolls around, you couldn't care less if your hair's a mess, if you have no makeup on or if you're wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. If he really loves you, he will love your bedhead and sweats too.

4. You can literally laugh at nothing with them

I know I've done this several times. You're just sitting there and all of a sudden you burst out laughing for no reason at all. He gives you that "what the hell is wrong with you" look and then starts laughing with you. This can last anywhere from five to 15 minutes with me. This is the best thing about a relationship to me, just sitting there and laughing together over nothing.

5. You want to kill them so many times, but you can't do it because you know you'd miss them if you did

Sometimes you want to wrap your hands around that person's neck and squeeze until they turn blue. However, you know that you could never hurt them because you wouldn't know what to do without them. You would miss them, so you keep your anger in check and make sure it doesn't boil over to the point of homicide.

6. You can lay there and listen to them talk forever

You can just lay there and listen to them tell you about their day, what they want to do with their life and tell random stories. You don't have to talk, you just lay there and listen. It's kind of calming not to have to talk to feel connected to them.

7. When you leave to go to college, you realize how much you really miss them

When you were home, you took the time you had with that person for granted. Now that you are two and a half hours away and can't see them every day, you realize that you miss being able to tell them good morning, to hug them and to see their smile. You miss them more than you realized you would.

8. You realize that you couldn't imagine life without them

You have your bad days and your good days. The times you want to just kill them and get it over with. All in all, you realize that you couldn't imagine your life any other way. They make you laugh, cry and realize just how much you can love another person. They become your best friend.

Relationships aren't always easy. You have bumps in the road and curves everywhere you look. But in the end, if you are really meant to be together, it will all work out.