I have a boyfriend, a really sweet boyfriend. He has qualities every good boyfriend should have. He's the funniest, craziest, guy with a sweet smile, a caring heart, and the bluest eyes you've ever seen. He takes me on adventures and dates, we go out for breakfast sometimes or play video games with his little brother. We've been together for over a year now and like any couple we've had our ups and downs, little fights here and there, but we always take care of one another and fix problems right away.
There's one small problem with this cute little relationship we have. We live about 300 miles apart. I, a Music Education Major with 12 classes, attend Illinois State University. He, on the other hand, attends Michigan State University as a Graphic Design Major. It royally, totally sucks.
The thing is - it's hard. Long distance relationships suck. It's hard to talk to someone when you have your own lives, your own schedules, and - in some cases - a completely different time zone. Communication is horrible, time to talk or video chat runs out so fast. We greet one another in the morning and at night, and a little in between.
Valentine's Day will be nothing like it is for all the other couples in the world - I won't see him, get to hold his hand, go on an adventure, hug him, or anything like that on February 14. I will be in my dorm room, video chatting and eating dinner with him over the call while we watch the same movie in different places at the same time. We'll laugh and cry over the same things, and have a blast while we stuff our mouths full of chocolate we sent one another.
Although this is the worst possible thing anyone has ever gone through, it's quite beautiful in it's own way. I can't be with him, but I am there with him in his heart. We sent packages to one another, full of goodies and letters. We'll watch a movie together and fall asleep together through the camera. We can laugh about memories of our adventures from before and plan new ones too. So, it's not terrible. We can't actually hug one another and be together on that day but we sure can have a lot of fun.
Long distance relationships are very hard to be in.
If you don't think you can handle it, then don't pressure yourself into something unhealthy for you. He and I fight, we don't communicate as much as we should, we have our own lives. We handle our own schedules but yet, our relationship has never been stronger. We feel things so strongly for one another, and take care of one another. We check up on one another, take trips to see each other, buy delivery food for one another. We send packages, letters, texts, photos, everything we can possibly do to make one another happy.
Our appreciation for one another grows so much, our tolerance to distance gets stronger, we trust one another more.
Our love is somehow deepened by every waking moment we spend apart.
So this Valentine's Day, a day we will spend apart, I will be with him. I will be with him in his heart, mind, and soul. We don't have to see one another on that day because it's just another day closer to us being with one another again. We will watch a movie, eat chocolate, and be happy together, 300 miles apart. Plus he will come visit me a few days before Valentine's Day, anyway. It'll be an early celebration.
