The thing about following your dreams is, sometimes you have to leave people behind. Sitting here, I can't even count on two hands the number of people I love I live so far away from. I have great friends in over 5 states, more than three countries, and my family lives about 600 miles away (granted, this is definitely an upgrade from last year's number of 1900 miles, but still). I knew I'd be leaving family and friends when I chose to do AmeriCorps in Los Angeles, and again when I got accepted to school in Atlanta. What I didn't know, however, was that in LA I would meet the most wonderful guy, spend months exploring, watching movies, and laughing with him, start a relationship with him... and then leave him.
Don't get me wrong, my heart and soul ache for the distance between me and my friends and my family. But there's something about long distance relationships that is its own kind of difficult. Not in a million years did I think this is what my life would be like at this point. I wasn't looking for it, but that's the funny thing about when life gives us the greatest things, right? It's always when we're not looking for them. Long distance relationships are a lot of things, as anyone who has been in one can tell you. They're lots of lonely movie nights. They're days exploring wishing you could share it with the other person. They're looking for people to grab dinner with, or go to a movie with, because your everyday-things partner is so far away. They're sitting on the phone in silence because you don't know what to talk about, but you don't want to hang up. They're a lot of finding out who you are when you're alone, even though you aren't. But they're not all bad. They're also laughs and long phone calls. They're quick "just thinking about you" texts at your most stressful times of the day. They're learning to appreciate the time you have with one another. They're learning how to love on a deeper level, because your partner isn't there to hug or tease, or share your french fries with. (On that note, they're also not having to share your food so that aint so bad). When I was faced with the decision on if I wanted to continue the new relationship from 2200 miles away, I thought, what a crazy idea. I thought, how will that work? I thought, wow, how lonely that sounds. But... I also thought, if you don't love someone enough to love them when you can't be together... do you really love them at all? And I have no regrets. Being in a long distance relationship is finding what works for you and your partner. It's making time for eachother when you're living separate lives. It's day dreaming and missing eachother. It's forming a connection unlike any other. It's counting down the days until you can be together. It's fighting for someone you love. It's learning to put yourself to the side, and love the other person the best you can. It's your chace to not miss out on the person that belongs in your life. It's its own special adventure. And I'm thankful to have found someone to share this adventure with.
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AuthorHello! I'm Becca -humanitarian, caffeine addict, lover of books, people, and all things Jesus. You can find me in my pajamas, day dreaming about rainy days and saving the world. Archives
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