"My boyfriend lives in Nevada and it is just so hard. I don't know how you do it Jen"
When the people I sit next to in class ask me about the guy in the photo set as my wallpaper, I try to keep it as short as possible. I say he's my boyfriend, they ask how we met, and out comes the story. 95% of the time, I can predict exactly what questions you are going to ask me. I don't mind of course. This all happens because of how proud I am to call my boyfriend mine and share our story. So I try to smile and nod my head and sympathize as you tell me that the person you're dating lives 4 hours away.
At least you live in the same timezone. You won't deal with ridiculous charges on your phone bill when he calls you just to remind you he loves you.
But I do.
People are genuinely curious to know what it's like. I remember being 13 years old and watching What a Girl Wants and wishing so badly to be Amanda Bynes, running around London with cute boys. Silly teenage me...
This list should probably be retitled to "What happens when you're 20 years old and come from a small California town and date a guy from England". But they say to write about what you know, and I know this pretty well. I'm sure a handful of you do too.
People wonder if I'm being catfished. As if we found each other on the internet and have never met and my boyfriend is actually a 55 year old pedophile living in a mobile home park with his mother in Kentucky. Technically we did meet on Facebook, but that's only because I'm adorable and Max just had to get to know me before camp.
I've had some wonder if he's lived in America, and I'm just being pretentious and saying he's English.
"Wait, so does he say things weird? Like trainers and mum?"
It's not weird, you get used to it.
I get the occasional shaking of the head, pity looks from older people thinking I'm making such a huge mistake. The really curious ones even ask how I do it.
What they don't ask is if I'm happy. They always assume I'm not.
I have never answered any questions about him, except the ones that have to do with his nationality.
No one wants to know about the sweet little things, but they will gladly listen to any negativity I could give them.
I will never say that this is easy. But with him, it is the easiest choice I've ever made.
None of you know how hard we work to keep each other involved in our daily lives. Not because we have to, but because we want to.
We stay up late and wake up early so we can get 5 extra minutes of hearing each others voices and sleep well/get through our day.
It's when we snapchat and realize I'm wearing a shirt that is almost identical to the one he has in England. We just have the same incredible taste in clothing.
Counting down the days to seeing each other and knowing after 10+ hours of traveling across an ocean and a continent, that someone you love will be waiting there with open arms.
Waking up in the morning and not being sure how I can get through the day and seeing a reminder that someone is out there who absolutely believes I can do anything, well that is just something I never want to live without.
This is so much more than going the distance.
This is going for my dreams and having my best friend holding my hand at the finish line.
So if you ever meet someone who is dating a person from another country, I encourage you to ask questions. But I also encourage you to remember that we don't do it because we have to, we do it because we want to.
Much love,
Jen
