Bittersweet Reality

It's official. I miss my boys. I've never been good at math, but I definitely know this:

 long distance round two = no fun

 Long distance round one was pretty hard. Well, at first anyway. Mostly because the relationship was so new. We had only been together for a summer, and being 4 hours and one state away kind of complicated things. It definitely strengthened our communication skills, and I think we enjoyed our time together that much more when we did get to see each other, but the weeks were long.

This time, we've been together for 1 year and 11 months. Things are different now. Better of course, but hard in different ways. For example:

• Since he had moved to be where I was during the school year, I had gotten used to him being here. We had our own routine. Places we ate, had fun at, and visited often, sadly, do not feel the same anymore.
• I know the job he got is great. It's a blessing, really. This way, he'll be all settled and prepared by the time I finish school and move back home.  But, now that we are engaged, I feel like this is the time we should be together, of all times. I mean, it's not like we won't be together, I'll see him most weekends, but it's kind of hard to prepare for a wedding and enjoy being engaged when the main stars of the show are not together. 
• I don't know how many times I have been told, "Wait to get a dog until after you are married." I think they were telling me that because it would be a lot of hard work, etc., but looking back on it now, I think they were right for a different reason. Charlie went with Jon during the move. I miss my dog. Like you wouldn't believe! And just that alone, missing my little baby, is hard enough as it is.
• Round two will be over the summer mostly. Our summers are normally spent going to the beach, hiking, eating at new places, camping, doing crafty things together, fishing, spending time with family and friends, playing tennis, swimming, etc. This one will be spent indoors...he at his job and me at mine. Get up, go to work, come home, eat diner, work out, talk to each other on the phone before bed, go to bed, and then do it all over again. 

I am starting to realize that it's not just this long distance thing I am dreading, it's starting my adult life. OK, dreading isn't the right word. It's just that, I have never been one for change, and that is definitely what the next nine months will bring. In the next nine months, I will have completed long distance round two, I will have graduated college, and I will be married. I am so excited to get married, graduate school and get a job, [ok, mostly just to get married :)] but it will be bittersweet saying goodbye to my carefree days and saying, "Hello Real World." That is all for now.