Tags: dating, singles

I'm very happy with my current relationship. We have a lot in common, and what's different about us compliments each other. But there's one thing that bites, the distance factor. I live in Orlando, and he is about 170 miles away. I have a car that gets excellent fuel mileage (yay for VW diesels) and he drives a Jag that gets 20 mpg on a good day. I don't mind driving out to see him, but the inbetween time is difficult.

Of course nowadays having a long distance relationship is much cheaper. Cell phones almost always have nights and weekends, plus he signed up for the same company I have, so we have the whole mobile to mobile calling. We can talk any time, day or night, and it doesn't cost us more than we'd normally pay for a cell plan. We can even send each other sweet little text messages. But time spent on the phone and online does not equal time spend in person. As much as we talk, we miss out on a lot. Sometimes my silences are filled with body language that he cannot see, cannot read. Body language, and time spent touching, not necessarily sexual, but just simple touch, holding each other, holding hands, kissing, and just hugging, cannot be expressed over the phone.

And the time we do spend together is somewhat stressful. Are we doing enough special things, are we doing enough simple things? Time spent together is almost always special because we don't get enough of it during the week. But by that same token, I don't want my trips to see him to be taken for granted.

So long distance is a tentative situation. At some point we're going to have to break the distance. Sooner better than later, really. With people meeting on dating sites, or meeting at conventions, or on vacation, or simply by chance (like us), there are more and more long distance relationships going on. Moreso than our previous generations, who were known to grow up, go to school, fall in love, marry, and often move back to hometowns. As much as I would love to be with someone local, I wouldn't trade my sweetie for anything.