me, rachel

For the first two years of our relationship, Dave and I were long-distance sweethearts. He left for college, and came back one month later declaring that he couldn’t get me off his mind, and would I be interested in dating him? Naturally, after crushing on him for two years, I wanted nothing more! But it was still a hard decision. After all, he was going to school five hours away! I was crazy about him, but I was afraid that the distance would be too much for such an attractive young man suddenly surrounded by hundreds of attractive, eligible young ladies.

But, obviously, he stuck with me! We went through two years of separation, during which time he would come home about once a month and take up residence on my parent’s couch, since his parents don’t live in the States most of the time. At first, the longest time we were apart was seven weeks over our first Christmas, when he spent three weeks in Zimbabwe visiting his parents. Then, last summer he was gone for 11 weeks. I thought I was gonna die. He was on a traveling team for school, and they toured the East Coast. Last summer I rarely went to sleep before 2:00 am, because I would wait up for him to call me so we could talk…which could never happen before his host family went to bed.

That summer, I held on to the fact that at the end of the summer, we’d be going to the same school and I could see Dave every day. It was such a blissful feeling to move in that first day. I was sad to leave my parents for the first extended time in my life, but I was so excited to be near my Mister that it didn’t matter. I just knew that we’d be together every day, and then we’d get married, and we’d never have to do long distance again. Halleluiah!

So guess what? Today I got up at 6:45. In the morning. I didn’t realize morning existed before nine. But I got up at 6:45 to say good bye to Dave for yet another summer of long distance. Like all the other times, I’m terribly sad he’s gone, but I’m glad for him because it’s for a good reason. I mean, he has a full time job! Which is amazing in itself in this economy. And this is a great job, he’s gonna love it!

But I miss him.
1 Response
  1. Christine Says:

    Tim and I did the long distance thing in the first 9 months of 2008. He had an internship in DC and left January 26 (the day of my grandpa's funeral--I was so miserable!) and I wouldn't see him until graduation.

    I went home for spring break and my parents had arranged for him to come up to our house in CT for the weekend, which was a wonderful surprise, but made leaving him that much harder.

    Graduation came, and then he was in Chicago, working. In the 9 months before our wedding, we spent (maybe) two and a half weeks total together. It was the hardest thing ever, but at the same time, it was totally worth it. I missed him acutely, much the same way you're probably feeling now.

    I understand so much.


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