Guest column

At the end of my senior year of high school, I was faced with the difficult decision of either going to UNLV in order to stay close to my boyfriend or following my dream of going to school out of state (you can guess which one I chose).

Here I am two years after making that decision, taking the whole long-distance thing one day at a time. My boyfriend and I went from seeing each other every day to counting down the days we can see each other again after months at a time. Some days, we are out of sync during the day and then barely talk late at night before one of us starts to drift off to sleep while still on the phone. Then other days, we talk for hours upon hours so we can forget about the miles that separate us. Still, there are days (I admit) when my jealousy gets the best of me, and it turns into a fight, but then, there are others when I’m so overwhelmed with happiness to have him in my life that nothing else matters.

Being in a long-distance relationship makes me appreciate the little moments, the ones that help me get through being apart. Then there are the not-so-little moments, rather monumental gestures, when he flies here to surprise me on our anniversary.

By no means is our relationship perfect, but we make it work for us. Four years together has taught us about each other’s passions and quirks, but the distance has taught us more about each other than we ever could have imagined. At least for me, the distance has taught me to grow up in a way I never could have by staying in the same city, and for that reason, I think I am better for the relationship. I look forward to the day when one of us has the plane ticket to only go one way.

Guest columns are written by The Sentry staff writers to give them the experience of writing an editorial and the platform to share their stories.