oddly thankful.

When {cv} and I began the long distance years {back in 2006}, we did so with an ocean between us. I was studying in Tours, France and {cv} was starting his job in Charlotte, NC. We couldn't have been in more different place in our lives--and the six-hour time difference didn't make it any easier. While he was beginning his career, I was holding on tight to my last summer as a college student. 

Hipstamatic Print by {av}

Thankfully, we saw the bigger picture. We knew those differences wouldn't last forever. Despite troublesome phonecards {remember those?!} and absolutely opposite schedules, we made it work. I knew after that summer that we could conquer anything--and with it, the miles and years between the day we would finally end up in the same place {June 26, 2009}.
There are many times I look back at those years and wonder how exactly we made it. I've read many stories from bloggers who are in {or have been in} long distance relationships. The commonality between all of them? The underlying sense that it's worth every ounce of heartache, every minute of loneliness, and every single tear to be apart...
so that one day you can be together again. 

{via}
{By the way, I give special kudos to those who are dating or married to 
someone in the military. Your willingness to share your partner so that we can all have 
the freedoms we experience here in the United States is an absolute sacrifice--
and I'm thankful for it everyday.}

I'm now {what I consider to be} oddly thankful for those years we spent long distance. Why? Because it makes leaving for a business trip {like I will be tomorrow} a little bit easier. Because we know how to handle the sometimes awkward phone conversations which because you can never get a second alone at work. Because I know that at the end of the day, we've already conquered years of long distance...
so a few days apart should be a breeze {in theory of course}.

{via}
{cv} and I will be spending the rest of the day watching the Oscars and getting ready for the week. I cannot WAIT for the red carpet! I even managed to twist {cv}'s arm and convince him that we needed champagne for dinner!

I'll continue to be oddly thankful for our long distance years because I know tomorrow morning's goodbye won't be as painful as goodbyes were in years past. Though I never wish long distance on anyone, I think it can only help make a relationship stronger. I know it makes me thankful for each and every moment that we have together...

Enjoy the Oscars, friends! Until tomorrow, xoxo {av}

23 comments:

  1. Your blog is SO SWEET. I seriously love reading your posts. I'm not in a long distance relationship, but my boyfriend and I are in different stages of our lives. I graduated college last May, and my boyfriend graduated college 4 years ago. Sometimes it's hard not having a career while my boyfriend has had a full time professional job for years now. I'm learning that it doesn't matter as much as I thought.

    When I read your post, I kept on thinking about how powerful love really is between two people. Such a beautiful thing!

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  2. I love your posts about long distance so much. I don't know what type of long distance that my boyfriend and I will have in the future, but I know that no matter what, we will make it. Your encouragement here makes me a little braver to face that day!

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  3. Sometimes I feel bad complaining about my long-distance relationship since we're only 2 hours away. However, it's not always possible to see each other that often, and now with gas prices being what they are, it may become even more difficult.

    However, I cannot imagine how hard it must've been for you to be THAT far away. But I agree with you, there is definitely a feeling that it is all worth it. :)

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  4. Av, I loved reading this! it is so beautiful and so true! George and i did long distance from London to Sydney all of last year, being apart for 6 weeks then together for 8 apart for 9 weeks, together for 12 weeks then apart again for 5 and then together again for 8 and then apart AGAIN for 8 weeks! now we are finally just together in the UK for a good few years now! but i am so thankful for last year aswell, getting through all those heartbreakingly tearful goodbyes at the airport now makes us stronger.
    the year before last we were also in a long distance relationship with me living in london while he was in nottingham so i can fully relate to those awful dreaded sundays when you know you have to say goodbye at the end of the day! they were the worst!
    hope you have had a great weekend av :) x

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  5. I so agree with you, Long Distance Relationships can only make the relationship stronger or break it, in either case I think it's a win/win situation. It takes two people to make it work and you and your husband clearly put enough effort, I am happy for your happy ending.

    I hope you'd a nice weekend, xo

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  6. I agree so much. everytime I'm done Mr. Charming always says we're getting stronger and it's good for us. I hate when people complain about their other going away or leaving for like 3 days or a week. It doesn't even compare!!

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  7. This is so sweet. You two are incredibly blessed to have made it through the long distance. Amazing.

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  8. This was a really cute post! I can't even imagine how hard it was for you to do a long distance relationship for so long, but your relationship seems so wonderful right now...I guess the best is worth waiting for! Enjoy the Oscars!

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  9. Aww. this is the sweetest thing ever. I've never really believed in long distance relationships because I've seen some of them crash and burn. BUT reading this post makes me think twice. Maybe it can work as long as the both of you are in it with your whole heart. :D

    I'm watching the Oscar's Red Carpet too!

    Carrie
    http://readmylifeascarrie.blogspot.com/

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  10. So sweet! Long distance is so hard, I can't imagine having an ocean AND a 6-hour time difference too. More power to ya, girl!

    I'm watching the Oscars too & have been keeping up with your tweets!

    Have a wonderful week! XO

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  11. I told my hubby that we should have dressed up in our wedding attire and enjoyed champagne while watching:)

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  12. What a sweet post! I struggle when B goes on business trips, I hate sleeping alone now that I've had a snuggle partner for so long. I love every waking moment I have with him, so the days apart are tough. But we're strong, right?! Safe travels and have fun watching the Oscars tonight!

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  13. Haha I totally want to have champagne with dinner too- today feels sort of sparkly!

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  14. As someone who was in a long distance relationship myself and now married, i couldn't agree more with your post!

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  15. I think keeping the end in sight is the best way I handle it. & my husband puts it best: a year is so short in terms of a lifetime. The only thing as rewarding as being a soldier is loving one.

    you're such an inspiration! xxoo

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  16. When I lived in a different country to my husband (when he was my boyfriend) I basically did the whole cross days off a calendar thing. And knowing that everyday got me one day closer help so much!

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  17. I love this post av, it makes me so bitter/sweetly happy and nostalgic. Me and my boyfriend did distance (me in California, him in South Africa) for over six months and then for another six months when he studied on the east coast for a semester and I was back in California again. You're right, it was worth and made us stronger, although I still find it difficult to be apart from eachother for even a week :) - it's funny how those things work.

    And now I am so thankful to see him everyday and am actually so happy that we had already gone through so much when we were able to be together... it was definitely worth every second.

    xoxo
    Jenna

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  18. Amazing post! I really needed to read that this morning. I'm at the stage where it's been a couple of weeks since i saw my boy but there are still a few weeks left until i see him again, and this time is always the hardest for me! He also says it will make us stronger all the time and it was nice to read that opinion here too :) Thank you! Sx

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  19. I love this post! It hits home for me. I've been struggling with a long distance relationship for the past two years. Finding the ups and downs hard to conquer. Thank you for the inspiration!

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  20. i def thing me and marks long distance relationship (that lasted forever) definitely made us a little more independent from eachother which has proved to be a very good thing! But also more interesting to each other, if that makes sense :)

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  21. All I can say is AMEN. J and I have spent almost two years apart collectively over the five years we've been together and while it wasn't much fun, I think it made us stronger and better communicators than we would be otherwise!

    Hope you're having a great week :)

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  22. He lived in Charlotte?!?! I did not know this!

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  23. I'm so glad you found my blog and I found this. I just started dating someone I met in a bar in sf and I'm in la and it doesn't soun so far but it really is with our crazy work schedules. Sometimes I feel like all the odds are against us, ESP since we didn't have that typical couple time together before being apart. Then I just think about how it feels When were together and it makes it all worth it

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