Time & Space
I've been dating my boyfriend for three years now. We met the summer after we graduated high school. He had plans on going away to college and I was undecided on a major so I was going to be taking a year off. We hit it off really well and tossed the idea of becoming an item back and forth. By that time, we knew each other pretty well. He had reservations about it because he was going to be three hours away from me. I asked him if distance would make him feel any different about me, and he said no. So I pushed to give it a shot. And here we are.
The past three years weren't all easy and fun. We see each other on random weekends, the usual holiday breaks, and of course summers. Having a long distance relationship can be very trying on a person sometimes. We had to learn how to communicate extremely well. As well as be trusting of each other. The hardest part was trying to give adequate space even from a distance. At the beginning we were glued to texting and calling. It became so familiar that when I started school it was a hard transition. He had classes during the day, I was starting my classes when he was getting home. On top of that I was working almost full time. It seemed like a crucial crossroads of our relationship. Our favorite thing is Skyping while watching the same show. Or something else that's cheesy like that.
I never wanted to be a "clingy" girlfriend, I've witnessed that and it wasn't how I wanted to do things. After having a revelation about the whole idea, I knew what I had to do. We'd figure out each others' schedules at the beginning of the week so we knew when we could and couldn't talk very much. It actually worked out really well. The other thing was getting over the fact that he was going to go out with his friends, maybe go to some parties, drink a little bit, the normal college life. I wasn't going to be the person who held him back from experiencing college for all that it was. I want him to succeed in school and I also want him to enjoy himself. I'm envious of his college experience. I don't regret my school decision at all, but I do regret not doing it at a big university.
My point to this is, if you like someone a lot and want to date them or are dating them, but you're going to be far apart, give it a shot anyway. It's scary and sad sometimes but I think it's one of the most rewarding things that I have experienced in my life. I'm more grateful for our time spent together, I cherish him more, I'm a stronger person, and I've learned a few ways to love someone differently. If you can test your 'intimate' relationship and make it successful through time and distance, there's no doubt you can do anything.
K