This Christmas break, college students were home for an entire month. Thirty straight days spent with family, friends – and for some of us, our significant others. I've loved having this time with my boyfriend to reconnect; it has made me think, What if we were always together like this?

If we were always together, it would be a blast. After all, isn't your boyfriend or girlfriend the one person with whom you want to spend all of your time? Thinking about this dream scenario and talking with other friends who are also in long distance relationships made me realize, I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend.

I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend or girlfriend because I have more friends. I branch out more; if my boyfriend was at college with me, I would spend so much time with him that I wouldn't have met some of the people that I have. I definitely wouldn't spend as much time as I have with them and that would mean we wouldn't be as close as we are. (Shout out to you guys, I would not be sane without y'all)

I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend or girlfriend because it has made me more independent. For example, the first weekend I was heading home from college, my tire was flat. That meant I had to get my tire changed by myself. As scary and confusing as it was, I did it. But, if he would have been there, I wouldn't have stepped out of my comfort zone. I would have just asked him to do it and depend on him. Sure, I was on the phone with him and my dad the entire time, but I still did it.

I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend or girlfriend because it's easier to manage your time. If my boyfriend was at my school, I would feel obligated to spend a set amount of time with him. But let's be real, it's hard enough to balance your time in college just with studying and friends, adding routine dates in there would make it, even more, challenging.

I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend or girlfriend because it makes seeing him/her sweeter. We value the time we have with each other much more now. You know what they say, "absence makes the heart grow fonder".

I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend or girlfriend because we have things to tell each other. Over the summer, there's nothing new to talk about, because, for all of the stories you have, your significant other was there for it, too. At different schools, you have so many stories and adventures, and you can't wait to tell your person.

I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend or girlfriend because we have lives other than each other. Of course, you can have a life other than your significant other even if you do go to the same college; going to different schools just forces it more. So, just in case, the unspeakable happens... my life will go on. My college experience will remain virtually the same because he/she wasn't there in the first place.

And lastly, I'm grateful I don't go to school with my boyfriend or girlfriend because I now know that no distance can come between us.

Don't get me wrong, I miss my boyfriend everyday I'm not with him. I'm incredibly jealous when I see couples walking on the concourse together. There are times when all I want to do is vent and he's not there. And that sucks. He's my best friend and I would love to experience college together, however, I have realized not only is this doable, but it's also a blessing in disguise to not be at the same school as your significant other.

Below is a picture of me and my boyfriend when he came and visited for a weekend. Ah, weekends – what those of us in a long distance relationship live for.