Long Distance Relationships

Long distance relationships are something that many people fear, dread, or simply cannot do. As for my high school sweetie and me, long distance has become our norm. For the past two years we have relied on facetime, snapchat, texting, and too short of visits.

When I think about long distance relationships, I think about a quote I came across on Pinterest a long time ago…

“You can’t just give up on someone because the situation’s not ideal. Great relationships aren’t great because they have no problems. They’re great because both people care enough about the other person to find a way to make it work.”

This quote still resonates in my head today. Simply for the fact that it couldn’t be any more accurate. Although long distance isn’t ideal, some-how, some-way, it works for us.

One of the greatest things about long distance relationships would be the fact that when you finally get the chance to see each other, whether it be two days or two weeks, each second together is cherished. Spending so much time apart means that the time we spend together is extremely special.

I recently was at the Verizon store and the worker that was helping us, Chris, asked where my brother and I went to school. {Fun fact: He thought I was older than my brother Brent who is two years older than me.} He proceeded to ask us if we were dating anyone that we had met at college (he was married, don’t worry.) I told him that I was dating my high school sweetie. He got a very stern look on his face and flat out said “It won’t last. Hate to break it to you but nobody ever ends up with their high school sweethearts. You might as well move on and find someone at college.”

This didn’t just upset me, it made me irate. Who was this man to tell me that my relationship wasn’t going to last? I so badly wanted to call him out, swear, and walk out of the store. But anyone who knows me knows I am a baby and could never stand up for myself like that (one of my biggest weaknesses.) I just chuckled and said “Watch me.”

Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t have the nerve to tell Chris what I really felt because I don’t need to justify my relationship to a complete stranger. Nobody, for that matter, has to prove their relationship to anyone. When two love each other, people need to respect that.

As I’ve gone completely off on a tangent, I’m sitting in bed listening to my roommate skype her boyfriend. Ashleigh is from Australia and is studying abroad here at MNSU. For the next five months she will be 16.5 hours behind from her sweetie back home. This will result in skype dates at 3 in the morning our time, anxiously awaiting for each other to wake up, and longing for each other’s touch.

While being away from Jens is anything but easy, I have quickly learned that we have it pretty good. Same continent. Same country. Same time zone. 5 hours is closer than some people out there have it.

I think that some of the strongest relationships have endured long distance at some point. No, I am not just saying this because Jens and I have been doing this whole long distance thing for two years. I truly believe that missing someone is part of loving them. If you’re never apart you’ll never know how strong your love really is.

If there is one thing that I have learned while spending very little time together, it’s that it is worth every second. The 500 hours apart are definitely worth the 80 hours we get to spend together. Yes, long distance relationships are hard, but not having my loved one in my life at all would be much worse. Distance means so little when someone means so much.

{Every day I miss you is another day I fall harder.

Missing you reminds me how much you’re worth it.

Hearing your voice and seeing you smile makes the hurt disappear in a moment.

Having you hold me in your arms makes all my doubts disappear.

Every kiss is a smile waiting to happen.

Each goodbye is a reminder of how precious every minute with you is.

I love you, and you’re worth the distance, because I know one day we will be together, and distance will be a thing of the past.}

P.S. I can’t wait until Jens and I get married so I can send Chris a ‘Save the Date’ in the mail.