It's easy to complain as a college student. We're all broke, we're all tired, and we all battle each of our personal issues. But what happens when exams, exhaustion, and debt are the least of our worries?

It all seems so horrid and unfair. But the truth is, the most unfair thing is having someone you're close to thousands of miles away in your honor. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm talking about the military.

Growing up, being in the military was almost romanticized, in a way. The whole long distance relationship and reconnecting with our loved ones seemed so amorous. In reality, it's way more than hand-written letters and good-bye hugs. It's wondering when, and if, you'll see them next. Missing the holidays, missing birthdays, missing memories.

A good friend of mine enlisted in the marines this year. He left later than expected, mid-October to be exact, and just came back January 13th. Between his time in South Carolina and his return to Jersey, he missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

You truly don't realize what you have until it's gone. The only form of communication I have with him is through writing letters. In this case, it's not really gone, just finite. The time spent with him is now more precious than ever because of how limited it is. Did I mention he didn't use his cell phone at all from October until January 12th?

That's right. Months without any texts, Snaps, or Tweets blowing up in your pocket. "It really teaches you to appreciate life," he told me.

It's hard to complain about your life knowing someone who's in the military. Whether it be the marines, navy, airforce or any other branch, they are risking their lives to protect ours. With it being so close to home now, I've made it a point to appreciate the little things. Suddenly, the "opened" snaps and eight page papers seem like such little worries.

The training, the lack of sleep, the limits; they're all pushed by every single army member to protect us and our country. "Do you ever get scared?" I asked him. "Sometimes, then I remember why I'm doing it. For everyone I love back here." He looks at it as a way of serving both his country and the ones he loves.

Unfortunately, complaining is something I've become way too good at since August. But since January 13th, I've been looking at life a little differently. Sure, things get hard sometimes, but it could always be worse. Based on my friend's experiences at boot camp, what us college students deal with isn't as testing. As much as I'd love to give up complaning forever, I can definitely say that I now appreciate things a little more. Especially this marine.