The Return of the Boyfriend

"It'll get easier with time." We've all heard it. After some great incident or loss, somebody will inevitably say this to you. At the time you can't imagine that being true; you put on an act and mutter an agreement, but your heart doesn't believe it. In these situations you usually do feel better with time. I don't think the situation I am in holds true to this. And I don't want it to.

I love Michelle very much and I don't want being away from her to ever be easy for me. If you fall into a situation like ours you may indeed feel better with time. I take a perverse pleasure in knowing that the pain I feel is as fresh as today as when she disappeared through the gate to her airplane.

I've been doing everything I can to help Michelle transition to her new lifestyle, but from the other side of the planet what help I can give is very limited. I was very nervous about Michelle adapting to this culture, even though she was already much better acquainted with it than I.

As it turns out Michelle has done a wonderful job and is settling in nicely. I'm so proud of her for what she's accomplished and what she's continuing to accomplish. To some of you it may sound I'm making a big deal of something relatively simple, but I can assure that is not the case. Delving into an Asian culture as Michelle is doing is a thousand times more challenging than it appears. Just being apart so long is incredibly difficult for me, but she has to deal with that same pain and a million other stresses at the same time. I'm very proud of her.

In a long-distance relationship talking frequently is a must! If you find yourself in a similar position as us, do everything you can to ensure you can take several times a week. Skype is great if you have a camera and microphone. Unfortunately while I possess both, Michelle currently has neither.

Taiwan is filled with ups and downs for Michelle, but on the whole I am pleased with the way things have worked out for her and with how she is handling everything.

I know this may sound corny and dumb, but you guys are really important to her. I know a lot of you read but don't comment. Please let us know what you're thinking! It means so much to Michelle if you take the time to write. Share a story, ask a question, write your emotions, etc. If you are nervous, just post anonymously.

Thanks for your continued support!

P.S. Some of you may have noticed occasional comments I have made about the boys Michelle has been meeting. I'll admit that I do get jealous, but I'm not truly worried since I trust Michelle completely.

P.S.S. I leave for my gap year travel in 9 days. if you want to follow some nerds on their Eurotrip check out our blog at eurotripattackofthenerds.blogspot.com/

Another Perspective

Hello world
My name's David; I'm Michelle's boyfriend
Some of you may have been wondering why Michelle has stopped updating and commenting. The reason is simple; she has no internet to do so. She'll get back to posting ASAP. In the meantime I thought I'd share some of my thoughts with all of you.

So Michelle and I have been dating 7 months now to the day. We met at camp and decided to date despite the 2.5 hour drive that separated us. Since we are already accustomed to having a long-distance relationship, and since we love each other very much, we decided to stay together and outlast this almost-a-year-long adventure.

As we enter the final ten days before Michelle's departure I am getting excited, concerned, and sad.

I know that this trip will be among the greatest experiences of her life. I know she will be thrilled to be enveloped in a culture that has always fascinated her. I know she will love her host family and that this experience will help mold her future. For these reasons and more, I am excited.

Yet despite this I am both sad and concerned. Though I will have my own gap year plans to help me through this time, I will miss Michelle too much for words to describe. Some days I wish she wasn't going to Taiwan at all, but then I remind myself how important it is to her. Heedless concerns try to support the case against her going to Taiwan. What if her host family is mean? What if she doesn't like it after all? But we already know her host family is nice, and I have no realistic doubt that she will love Taiwan.

Overall I'm still not entirely sure how I feel. It changes on a daily basis.
All I know is that, one way or another, we shall still be together when the dust settles.