distance

We celebrated this past weekend for his last birthday in his 20's. The big 29.
He absolutely loves aquariums, I may or may not have mentioned this before, so I drove down to southern New Jersey and took him to the Adventure Aquarium to meet some friends. He got to pet a shark and I got to see penguins - win. I was really excited to see the hippos, which to my misfortune was off exhibit until June.

We don't get to indulge in a lot of dates so I really cherish when we are able to go out to lunch for a burger and beer. By burger, I mean mine was wrapped in lettuce and made of quinoa (it works for me). I cherish the moments we get to try new places together.

I especially love the moments when he snuggles with Fifa, when she crawls into his nook and falls asleep. He finally got to hear her snoring in person.

For his birthday after the aquarium, I took him to the nicest steakhouse in my area. Yes, this vegetarian willingly went to a steakhouse for her boyfriend. I turned pescetarian for the night and tried some mahi mahi, not terrible but I probably will not go for it again. He loved it, one of the best steaks he's ever had. I think I did good for his birthday.

Distance isn't easy. We struggled, we still struggle but we are managing. I can not say we are perfect but we are attempting to make it work for us. I try not to overanalyze the situations and enjoy the moment we are in and enjoy the moments we have together. Hopefully it gets easier with time. Thank goodness for technology.

long distance

This is my first long distance relationship, I'm definitely learning things about myself and how to handle a relationship that is 1200 miles away.

One important aspect, which I am still getting the hang of, is the communication aspect.
Our opposite schedules can make this difficult at times; night shift, day shift, class schedule - oh the complications. He's totally worth it, I just have to stop over thinking every little thing. I have plenty of friends who are in the same boat as me. My best friend P was away from her boyfriend, who was in Afghanistan for months, then NY to NJ. And still when he's on leave. Along with her, I have two other friends in the distance boat.. so I'm not alone, sort of.

I really like surprises.
My favorite thing to receive are cards. I love love love cards that are perfect for the recipient. So I have searched far and wide (or Etsy) for the perfect cards.
I know you can get these at Hallmark or at Target, I usually do, but these cards are special. I also enjoy supporting the small business owners of Etsy. Plus, letterpress cards are my favorite.


Some of my favorite Etsy card shops:
   • SteelPetalPress
   • kissandpunch
   • DeLuce Design
   • Sapling Press (I've bought these in some stores)

(he just received this one yesterday from SteelPetalPress)

So if you're looking for some fun cards for your significant other, far or close - I definitely recommend those sweet little shops. It's nice to be able to put a smile on someones face. Some snail mail once in a while, isn't so bad either ;)

around here

I have been MIA due to the fact that my schoolwork has taken over and my laptop was not connecting to my Wi-Fi until last night.  So I am back!  Huzzah!

This month has been good to me so far, excluding the snow because I despise it with everything I have right now.  So. Much. Snow.  Today, we were hit with another 6-8 inches of snow, the fluffy kind at least.  It's been eventful, almost every other week for the past month and a half the university has closed.  These days are boring at work, but I get school work done.

B came to visit this past weekend and I was more than thrilled. We took a mini road trip to Baltimore to the aquarium and stayed with his friends.  It was a fun nerdy night of board games, old school video games, and watching speed runs of video games.  Like I said, nerdy night, but it makes me like him that much more.

The weekend went by too quickly.  My heart hurt when we finally had to say goodbye.  This weekend was really good for me; it put me at ease and allowed me to be more comfortable with us.  The way he communicates is an amazing thing for me, I am terrible at opening up my feelings in relationships. Insecurities can do that to a person. But he truly is an amazing person to be around.  It is getting harder to say goodbye each time. I can not wait to visit WPB though, sunny, warm weather! Five weeks and counting.

Besides a wonderful weekend with him, school has been good so far.  An A on my first paper!  *victory dance*  I need to catch up on Project Life, take pictures, do all of those things I keep saying I am going to do.  Keeping warm and playing in the snow, hoping so much the snow melts soon and warm weather approaches.

I hope all of your winters aren't as harsh!

long distance

The other night was our first Skype date.
And he made it very memorable with puppeting this crocheted mouse I had sent him for Christmas. One of the reasons I was so attracted to him.. his ability to make me laugh.  Honestly, I laugh at almost everything, but he had a way about him that made me giggle hysterically.  This is one of those moments..

I realized last night how difficult it is to really be in a long distance relationship.  It isn't easy, I can tell you that right now.  I have a few friends who have/are in the same boat as I am.  As you get older, I think the idea of long distance is much more obtainable than when you're young - that could just be my own thought.  Skype dates help.  I am learning a few things with this relationship, some of which I already know and some I want to be better.


COMMUNICATION is key in any relationship, near or far, but the distance helps you become better at it.  It is the only thing you have because you're not physically able to see one another every day or every week.  Sometimes all you have is the phone calls, text messages, emails, or letters.  As time passes, I realize how much better I am with talking about any issues.  It is so much better to talk than to let it build up until you do see one another - that time is cherished, not wasted.

TRUST. Trust the other person with what they are doing while you are not near and trust that your relationship can withhold whatever and for however long you allow.  People are always skeptical about the distance in my relationship because it is so new, but no one knows how we feel about one another.  We trust each other to be honest and trust each other that we will communicate any issues.  It is so great to have 100% trust in one another, when I was dating someone in college, it was our downfall.  And it is a weight lifted off your shoulders because you do not constantly wonder.

PATIENCE is a virtue right?  I am such an impatient person and this is helping me so much.  It is more patience in myself to be okay until the next time we see each other.  Sometimes the next time we talk because our schedules are so opposite.  We never know when we really will be able to see one another until we book the flight and the countdown begins; it's like Christmas every time.  Now, I need the patience to wait until May when he takes me to Disney for my birthday (it's not easy).  But also, patience with one another because we are still learning and getting to know each other.  It's the fun part though.


We're learning.
A year later and it's something new.  Something new to learn about myself when it involves another person. 

vacation part two

After a lot of flying and getting sick, I finally ended up in Florida to spend New Years Eve with B.  When I say I was happy to see him, it is basically an understatement, because I was beyond ecstatic.  The 40 minute delay I had to wait for him was not too pleasing but it was totally worth it.  Holding his hand on the hour drive back to his place was enough to make the whole trip worth it.

We spent the next day just laying there talking and enjoying each others company.  His roommate took us out to lunch at a Thai restaurant, he wanted my opinion if the food would be 'authentic.'  If you were wondering, no it was not haha.

this is why we are so great together, funny faces from the both of us

When the evening arrived, we headed to our mutual friends to go out to dinner.  Now, the worst place to take a vegetarian to dinner is an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steak house!  And that is where we went!  There was about 10 of us, neither of the people I knew picked this place so I can not blame them.  It was a lot of fun going out to eat and hanging out with everyone, I just did not feel well so it was hard to even visit the salad bar and get enough to eat.  Then we ventured to the bar for a few drinks and back to Chel's house for celebrations, food, and drinks.  Watched the ball drop, and counted down to the new year...

***
People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

I had the pleasure of bringing in the new year with old/new friends and a new boyfriend.  I may keep repeating myself when I say this, but only because it is true.  This year has taught me so much and I would not have changed a thing about it.  I begin my year with a smile and a happy heart ♥

and so it begins

It begins during a fantastic weekend with someone I really enjoy being around.
Someone who makes me feel like it's worth it.



The distance won't be so bad.
It helps you become a better communicator.
It'll bring us closer.
And make us cherish the moments we get to spend together.

The four days we got to spend together was really great.
I think my favorite part of our weekend was the snow. He's never seen snow, never walked in it, or played in it. I was really excited to be there for that first time. It's like watching a little kid stepping in the snow to see his footprints. Unfortunately, we didn't get to build a snowman, but I did throw a snowball at him. I explained the difference between the powdery snow and compact snow.
Him and Fifa got along really well. One of the most important things to consider.
He loved her and kept telling me he was going to take her with him, ha. She is a lovely, crazy, snuggly dog. I was happy.


We stayed local the first two nights.
I took him to some of my favorite restaurants. We walked around a lot in the snow so he could see my little town, which I love. My town is full of small business owners and 'mom-and-pop' places; it's my favorite type.

We ventured into the city to see the Christmas tree. I love the Rockefeller tree, no matter how many times I see it - it will always be great. We stumbled upon the Christmas ornaments on our way to Shake Shack, a new found love of mine in NYC.

We spent time doing nothing and enjoying each others company.
I couldn't be happier to have someone who is so endearing. He makes me laugh and he talks to me.
Completely open about whatever I need to talk about; my history hasn't led me to a place where I am completely comfortable with all of it. He helped me be more comfortable.


The distance isn't going to be easy, but it's worth it.

1200 miles isn't so bad right?