Going the distance

(Image from longdistancelover.com)

No one ever goes into a relationship expecting to spend the majority of their time doing it long-distance. At least I didn't.

But here I am, a few months away from my two-year anniversary and I have come to realize that of the past 20 months, the fiance and I have spent a little over half of them apart. Both the fiance and I are kind of appalled we have survived.

We love each other, but as you can probably imagine, long-distancing means we have some good days and some bad days.

Good days look something like this:
- Phone calls that last over two hours, most of which is spent laughing at how ridiculous we are
- Praying with each other even though we're miles apart
- Being with people who know the both of us and encourage us as we continue to spend time apart
- Getting letters/emails/texts is like getting Christmas every day. And I love Christmas.

Bad days look something like this:
- Only talking for 5 minutes because our schedules don't match (ie Tuesday nights, when our work and after-work schedules keep us too busy to even sit down for dinner let alone a phone conversation)
- Miscommunication and misunderstanding over what someone said or didn't say
- Being around couples doing couple-y things and feeling as if we're single because our loved one is too far away
- Having to say goodbye at the airport (I cry every.single.time.)

Despite these things, our long-distance relationship has taught me a lot about how to be more attentive to the fiance. I try (and often fail) to stay focused during our conversations, and I devote time especially for him every night because he is important to me. When we actually do see each other, it's as if I'm seeing him for our first date - I get butterflies and get all flirty...it's cute/disgusting. All of these things (and more) will help me get in the habit of valuing the fiance when we're married. Because we all know life doesn't slow down or get easier once you're married...

So here's to you long-distance relationship. Thanks for teaching me how to love my fiance!