Summer is undoubtedly the best part of any college student's year. The relief of finals being done is comparable only to the feeling you get when you first jump into the pool and truly kick off your vacation. Seriously. What could be better than a whole two months of not having to do anything? No professors. No essays. No reading assignment. And no…"Bae?"
I recently came to the difficult (and rather sucky) realization that my summer job was going to keep me from my boyfriend for 8 weeks more than I thought. I have no doubt that I'm going to love being a camp counselor, but I also had no doubt that my boyfriend and I would have the best summer ever together. Now, I won't be able to see him for more than three weeks out of my whole vacation. Surely I'm not the only one who has this problem, so here's a his and hers list on how to prepare for a summer away.
Hers: Write each other letters.
Write each other one letter for each week that you'll be apart. Include some of your favorite things about your boyfriend or girlfriend or write them a cute story or joke. Remember to tell them you miss them, and add a countdown for how many weeks until you can be together again.
His: Make time for date nights.
When I asked him how we were going to get ready to spend our summer apart, he said that we were going to have date nights, as many as we could fit in and afford before we had to be away from one another. He suggested picnics (because they're my favorite), lake days, movie nights, and so on.
Hers: Try and plan a time to see one another.
Even if it's just for a day there's a chance that you two might be able to see one another during your time apart. Sit down and look at your schedules to see if you can work anything out. Fourth of July weekend is always a good shot because most summer jobs will give you the holiday off. Even if you can't find a time to see one another, you might feel more comfort in knowing that you tried.
His: Cuddle.
Okay, this one might have been my idea, too, but my boyfriend definitely said it first. I think it speaks for itself.
Hers: Raid his clothes.
Go through his closet and see if there are any old tees that don't fit him anymore. Guys don't seem to understand it very well, but wearing one of his old shirts can be so comforting. While you're spending a summer apart, it'll be nice to be able to slip on of his shirts on before you go to bed at night. Girls, you can even leave him with something of yours to keep by or on his bed, too.
His: Do something you don't normally do.
Before you leave for the summer, be sure to do something new. I mentioned a couple concerts that I wanted to go to this summer, and my boyfriend and I picked one because we've never done that together before. He said that it was a good idea to do something new; something that we both wanted to do before we had to be apart again.
Hers: Practice being away.It sounds a little counterproductive. Why are we going to spend time apart when we're going to spend all summer aapart anyway? Well, because it'll be so much harder if you don't. When I leave, my boyfriend always tells me, “The first night is the hardest." If you've already taken care of your first night away from one another a couple times before the real thing, then it won't be as bad. Honestly, sometimes you just need to prove to yourself that you can do something before you have to do it for real.
His: Don't think about it.
The more you think about it, the sadder you get. If you try and distract yourself from the fact that you're going to be spending some time apart, then you're more likely to have more quality time together while you can. Make good memories that will last you until you can be together again, and a summer away won't be that hard.
