So I'm home now and sitting in the kitchen waiting for dinner to finish cooking. Home cooking>caf cooking. By far. I've been home now since Friday night and I would definitely have to say that being home is a pretty polarizing experience; there are so many things that I have missed and am now greedily enjoying (my own bed and shower, my mom's cooking, knowing the streets and having a car to drive, hugging my dog much harder and longer than she remotely desires, and surprisingly enough, having the Discovery Channel back on channel 43 like its supposed to be), but there are also some things that I miss about Luther too. The beautiful landscape, my friends there, the rock wall, and the lack of obligation I have to report my whereabouts (read: freedom).
Anyways one of the aspects about being home that has been really really awesome is seeing my girlfriend. She goes to high school here in town (Sioux Falls) and so it's been a real struggle adapting our relationship to the distance between us. We've been dating for about 8 months now and we're going strong, but when I left for Luther in the fall there was a big question about whether or not we should stay together, whether it would be the best for both of us to be together or to skip all the difficulties and explore other relationships. We ended up deciding that we just didn't want to separate and that we would try being together. It has been super hard at times but it's also been worth it.
Seeing her this break and hanging out with her has made me so happy; it's like we weren't apart for 2 months and are just back to goofing off and having fun. When I left though, people said that we would never work, that we would break up within a month and that we shouldn't try. I know that my situation isn't a universal one at all but I do want to say that long-distance relationships can work if you try hard. Don't give up on a relationship just because there's going to be distance between you two.
I've found that the best way to maintain a healthy relationship while still being faithful and true is to give each other freedom with communication; if one can't talk one night or is with friends, just let it be and talk another night or text later. It's right to expect them to be faithful and honest about what their doing (aka not date anyone else unless its talked about and definitely not cheat), but just relax the reins a bit. If it's love and it's meant to be then it will work out and you will figure out a way to stay together over a long distance. If it doesn't work, it's for the better and you'll be happier in the long run.
As for now, Erica (my girlfriend) and I will be together and try to work through all the trials of being apart. We've been going strong for almost two months apart now and I'm sure we can make it through.
By the way, the comic appearing above has very little to do with the subject of the blog but lately I've been feeling pretty conflicted with my desire to live a simple life with my perceived need for material things. But I won't bore you with the details of that inner dialogue :)
Take it easy,
Danny
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