My Journey Through a Long Distance Relationship in College

Are you in a long distance relationship? Or have you ever been in one? If so, then you know how painful is can be. I've been with my boyfriend for 3 years now and we only recently started our long distance journey. All I have to say is that I was not expecting it to be this difficult. It's only been a couple of months and we've already had a ton of ups and downs; but that's what makes a healthy relationship right? Throughout this blog I will talk about how my boyfriend and I stay affectionate through long distance and coping mechanisms I use for myself.

My Expectation of my LDR in College

Long before college my boyfriend, Xander, and I have discussed college a ton. We would talk about any situation that could possibly come up, but since, in the moment, it was still so far away we would usually just brush it off thinking everything would be fine. All of these talks have given me expectations before heading into college. I had the mindset of "If we love each other then everything will be easy peasy lemon squeezy". Long story short, it wasn't. It's a lot easier said than done, hence why it's just a saying. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still knew it was going to be a little hard, but I just kept our future in my mind and our love in my heart.

The Reality of my LDR in College

That was all just my expectation, and most of it wasn't even close to correct. So let's get into the reality of my long distance relationship in college and how painful it is, at least in the beginning it was. You might think that since we've been together for so long, college should be a breeze...well it's not. So far I've gone through crying until my eyes swell up, laughing until my stomach hurts, overthinking until my brain can't think anymore, and absolutely draining my phone battery in the process of it all. So overall, there are a ton of a highs and lows but I know they're all worth it in the end. No matter how painful it is to miss someone so badly, always know, you're lucky to even have someone to miss in the first place. I always think about that when he pops into my head throughout the day and it's not that I just miss him. I miss his touch, his kiss, his smell, the way he looks at me, all of it. Which just makes us seeing each other all that much better. Even though I might be making this sound easy, don't forget when I said I would overthink until my brain can't think anymore. This doesn't only affect me though, this can be hard on Xander having to put up with it and reassure me every time. However, this is not a constant thing that is straining our relationship because we take care of each other and these minor issues healthily. We talk about it, we listen to each other, and we resolve it by making sure we're both okay. In the process, there are many mechanisms I can to find to help me cope with this. Some of these consist of free writing, working out, or just taking a nap, anything to pass the time quicker. So no matter how many times you see or hear about these happy long distance couples; they also go through road bumps like this, it's just not something they put out there for other people. No couple is perfect; they fight, they communicate, they grow.

In Conclusion

Yes, it's only been two months but we've experienced so many things, and we still are. We don't plan on spending all four years of college apart, but if that's what God has planned for us then we trust him. Xander and I know each other, and this comes with time obviously, but we know what one another likes, dislikes, and many more deeper things. Meaning, we know what to do for each other throughout this long distance journey and I am so excited to see what God has in store for us! If you relate to this I hope it helped you, otherwise thank you for reading!