I fell into the stereotype. I was just like everyone else. I thought I would defy the odds, but I fell right into the majority.
When you're in high school, parents, teachers and other adults in your life tell you that you and your high school sweetheart will not make it. And they tell you this with confidence. That will never happen to us, I thought. But like most high school seniors, I was still a little too naive, and had no idea what was to happen come September.
Everything changed. I thought we'd get married. I thought, It's only four years, I can do that. I had seen it happen to my older sister. Around October, she and her boyfriend couldn't take the distance, met other people and broke up. But they were only together for a year; I was with my boyfriend for three and a half years -- if we hadn't broken up yet, we wouldn't ever break up.
Around the same time that my sister's relationship ended, mine began to crumble. Fights became more frequent and the infamous word, "break," was uttered. Our love for each other wasn't enough to combat the growing distance between us and our relationship quickly dwindled by the time I came home for Thanksgiving.
I never expected the dramatic change college life would bring me. I knew there would be growth, a lot of new people and experiences and a lot more work, but my boyfriend and I were inseparable, so I truly thought we could handle it. But college brought much more than that. It brought a new life, a fresh start, something I had wanted so badly throughout high school. It seemed as though my relationship kept tugging me back to the aspects of my life I wanted to leave behind.
He couldn't share my experiences. He had his own. We each seemed to just drag each other down and it was too much stress for us to worry about each other all the time. When we were together, we were great. We could laugh and talk for hours and hours, but apart, it seemed we grew resentful of the other. We resented the fact that we couldn't have fun together most of the time.
I couldn't give my boyfriend all that he needed from me and I was anxious to explore what else college had to offer. It was too hard balancing two completely different lives and it wasn't possible for them to be combined, and it was time for each of us to experience life on our own. Although, sometimes, I wish I worked harder to make it work, I do not doubt that it was the right decision. It was one of the most difficult things I've had to do. In three years, we had grown so comfortable and dependent on each other with a lot of things.
It began to feel more like work than it did a truly loving relationship and I knew it shouldn't be that way. I would never recommend breaking up with someone because you know that you will be away from each other for a period of time. It's always worth trying if you love someone and whatever happens, happens. Long distance is something that can be overcome with the right combination of emotions from each person. Sometimes, long distance works, but sometimes it's a real test. And, sometimes, love just isn't enough.
