I remember our first goodbye as if it were yesterday: it was an overcast and humid August afternoon. Both of his families and myself sat impatiently for hours, waiting for his swearing-in and soon after, his departure. I wore a new, maroon dress and a poorly feigned smile. But the one detail that resonates with the most painful clarity is the moment that he had to drive away. As he sat in the back of the white transportation vehicle, he looked back at us, waving as they pulled away from where we stood. My heart shattered as I watched helplessly, realizing that the boy who was leaving would return a completely changed man. And regardless of how we spent our entire summer together - nearly every single day - in preparation for what was to come, no amount of time could have made that transition any easier. In the moment, it felt like I had lost my best friend.

Fast forward nearly two years later and it's amazing to think of all that we've conquered! Boot camp and PIR passed with both tears and excitement. My recruit-turned-Sailor also breezed through A-school, as well as his PCS to Norfolk. We endured distance, leave that came and went too quickly, underways, and now, deployment: the most recent hurdle of our military relationship. In a phrase, it seems as if the hardships never stop; as soon as we conquer one challenge, we're tested with another. But in the wake of being acquainted with constant change and uncertainty, doesn't it ever become easier?

Absolutely not. Especially when you love somebody as unconditionally as I do my Sailor, it's hard to be left in the dark - no dates, no locations, no certainty about the future. It also hurts to feel as if you're missing out on each other's lives. Even though he's away on deployment while I'm back home at school, time doesn't wait for us to reunite; holidays, milestones, and years worth of memories will come and go with or without him home to share them all together. So even though we get to email briefly whenever he finds a moment of rest, nothing could adequately compensate for his physical, long-term absence. There are still nights when I fade in and out of sleep, thinking to myself that if I shimmy closer to his side of the bed, his arms will wrap around my waist. Once in a while, I'll place my hand on the gear shift while I'm driving alone, expecting his fingers to interlace with mine. Each and every day, the emptiness rekindles by even the smallest reminder - an emptiness that will remain until the day that he comes back home.

At the same time, I can't help but feel thankful for all that we've been through so far. This turbulent, military lifestyle has not only made my life partner mentally and physically stronger, but he has also become more passionate, dedicated, and selfless than ever before. I can see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice: he loves how he gets to make a difference for our country, and his enthusiasm makes the hard parts worth it. Furthermore, the challenges that we face on a day to day basis have only helped to make our love stronger. When you only have a limited amount of time together, you learn to make every second count; you learn to cherish a quick, 2-minute phone call, or an email that comes in the middle of the night. And while the distance can feel lonely, it also brings feelings of intense longing, bubbly excitement, and absolute admiration - an unparalleled type of love that others simply couldn't comprehend. And the moment when he finally steps off of that ship - the moment when I see his handsome, smiling face for the first time in too long - the months (and years) of pain will all melt away. Nothing will exist but him.

Evidently, military relationships are not for the faint of heart. If you're the type of person who mindlessly chases dog tags simply because "you love a person in uniform," then you should stop and reconsider. After all, these relationships demand time and patience, love regardless of distance, and extreme flexibility. They also require optimism, faithfulness, and teamwork through the thick and thin. Only after these elements are in place is your love bound to beat all odds. But when it does, it's the deepest, truest, and most satisfying love that exists.