I Hate Being in A Long-Distance Relationship It’s Awesome
“So, you guys are like… a snapchat couple?” Asked the dirty blonde girl sitting across from me. Her nasally and drawn out voice not only annoys me but, suddenly settles a feeling of discomfort in my stomach. I squeeze my boyfriend’s hand and laugh awkwardly, shaking my head in a way that will hopefully silently let her know what she had said was ignorant.
“No.” An assertive tone grazes my lips, truthfully not meaning to come across as rude. I couldn’t help myself though, what a bizarre comment to make. How dare this girl, upon first meeting us both, reduce our fully established relationship to a social media platform?
“We’re a real-life couple.” After another forced laugh, I’m not sure I can handle the tension in the room. I feel insulted, mocked, and just outright humiliated.
Explaining how I developed a healthy and strong relationship with my boyfriend is always a process. First, I have to tell them how we met: through a mutual friend. Then, I proceed to tell them how we made it official: over snapchat. At this point, if you’re wondering, why not like in the movies; where we’re on a Ferris Wheel and he leans in for a kiss, sealing the deal?
Let me break it down for you.
I come from the suburbs of Long Island and my boyfriend is from the suburbs of Illinois. He goes to the University of Wisconsin and I go to The University at Albany. I’ll spare you the math, that’s 857 miles apart with an hour time difference to boot. We are in a long-distance relationship, and even though I wish we weren’t, I can’t get enough of it.
You may be thinking –Well poor you…some of us don’t even have a significant other, why are you complaining? But, I want you to hear me out; I’m not here to complain. I want to let you know that even though it’s excruciatingly painful to be away from someone you’re in love with, that it can also be one of the most euphoric experiences ever.
I had never been the one for relationships, finding it hard to relate to people on a level and that doesn’t just breach the surface. Not only am I extremely introverted but, I am also quite shy; so, I’ve never been prompted to pursue. It was a recipe for loneliness. Not eternally to say the least – just until I was provoked; and provoked I was. When I met the boy that I now am lucky to call my soul-mate, all that seemed to melt away. He is my better half and my best friend. The only person in this universe that I can connect with comfortably. Our personalities are perfectly intertwined, and the balance is leveled. I couldn’t ask for a more perfect situation, besides the fact that we are miles and miles apart from one another.
We had begun talking via snapchat, speaking all day every day for at least three months. Flirtatious innuendos would be thrown left and right, making it known that there was a clear captivating energy being transferred between us. Texting and facetiming filled the gaps, bringing us closer, though only through a screen. It had felt like I had known him for my entire life. We had discussed him flying to New York to see me multiple times throughout this time frame but, only in June had he booked tickets, making it a permeant encounter. With that, he had encouraged making it ‘official’… and so we did.
Days, weeks, and months of excitement filled our eager hearts and minds, waiting for the day that we would finally be able to see each other in person. August 13th came quicker than expected and he was there, towering over me. The boy with the scruffy blonde hair and big blue eyes was not a fantasy anymore, he was real.
The distance was easy to deal with prior to us meeting. It was only after; I knew how his hands felt interlaced with mine, how sweet his natural scent was, and how it felt to lay with him in my car at 1 AM with the sunroof open watching the stars and listening to Blonde by Frank Ocean. This is when I felt the candid and sincere agony of being in a long-distance relationship.
Our week of bliss was over, and it was time for him to go back home so we could both get ready for our sophomore year of college. Even though I had a boat-load of things to be focusing on, all I could do is lay in bed and cry because I had missed him so much. The pain was overwhelming, and even though I had just had the best week of my life, I could only pivot my mindset to the torturous feeling of not being with him.
I had to screw my head onto my shoulders and pull myself together. I had a life to live. Now for the both of us. My goal was, and still is, to be with him in the future, just minus the distance. I had to recognize that I wouldn’t accomplish it by wallowing in self-pity all day.
We had made time to see each other again, but in the days between I felt a deep ache in my chest. This taught me a lesson, and here is where I come full circle: being in a long-distance relationship is awesome. The time that I spent and spend away from my favorite person in the universe teaches me that when we are together, it is time to cherish. I learn to not take him for granted and to realize how blessed I am to have him. I’m not a big believer in religion but, I do believe a type of powerful energy gravitated him towards me. I learned to treasure this energy, making sure not one ounce of it goes to waste. I encompass this feeling, always ensuring that I make the best out of our situation.
My mom had told me time and time again that ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ and I didn’t believe her until I had encountered the situation myself. It truly does. I comprehend this concept fully now, loving my soul-mate more and more each day albeit an 857-mile gap and that pesky hour time difference. Our communication skills have grown to be indestructible, our ability to interact, with technology being our only tool, has proven to be beyond effective. My heart grows fonder for this boy as the days go on. Distance has absolutely nothing on us.
So, don’t ever let the girl that thinks her quirky and doltish comment is funny, make you feel like your relationship isn’t valid. To her and girls like her I say: screw you. My ‘snapchat’ relationship continues to prosper regardless of our situation. I thank distance for showing me that I am capable of truly loving somebody no matter what.
I hate being in a long-distance relationship, it’s awesome.