Dear Long Distance Relationships,
Your presence is not to my pleasure, but I would rather embrace your existence than wallow in your absence.
For months I counted down the days, ticking each one off in my brain as we fell asleep each night and woke up every morning.
Relentlessly, a pesky voice inside my head reminded me that he would be leaving; embarking on an adventure that he had excitedly shared with me since the day we first met.
Oftentimes, I would mask my emotions, wanting to cherish our last few months together with happy thoughts and memories to hold onto while he’s 13 time zones away.
Then he left, and I felt my heart crumble into tiny, minuscule pieces as he made his way through security and out of my sight.
Emotion hit like a volcano that had been bubbling under the surface for years. Like lava, tears seeped out of my eyes, taking away my mascara with it.
You being the one to blame.
The sun came up the next morning, and then the morning after that. The eruptions became less frequent, as routine began to sit in.
The struggle you had created became less and less, as he and I equally put in the work to nurture our relationship.
Now, I look forward to mornings, because I get to hear all about what he had experienced while I drifted away to sleep.
Now, I look forward to evenings, because I get to tell him all about what I had accomplished as he dozed off on the other side of the world.
Now, I think less about how long it has been since I last saw him, rather about how wonderful it is going to feel picking him up from the airport and embracing him in a way that I have never before.
I am so proud of the person that he is, and I am so elated to watch this experience mold him into the person that he will become.
Long distance relationships, you are not my friend, but I have come to learn that you are also not my enemy.
I am so grateful for the strength that you will bring to our partnership.
And I cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives reminiscing about this experience and smiling in your absence.
Love,
Julia