Photo courtesy of Austin Tiffany on Unsplash.com
When people talk to me about being in a long-distance relationship, thefirst thing that is said is “Wow I could never do that?” or “What is it likedating someone 1,200 miles away?” To which I respond with lots of FaceTimingand lots of flights.
I reconnected with Jazmine Alena Cash on Twitter on New Year’s Day of 2020,we initially got to know each other through our love of rap artist Logic but weremained friends for several years.
From the start of our relationship the road was clearly not going to beeasy. We started off living cities away to states away, making our familiesaware that our relationship was anything but typical.
The pandemic made things particularly tough. The constant FaceTimes made ourrelationship stale, we started arguing more and we would quickly run out ofthings to say.
Part of our relationship going stale was on me, I feared being lonely. I didnot want to get to know my roommates because their idea of fun and mine werecomplete opposites. While she was busy with family obligations to make anyconnections in a new city.
She was not making any friends or going to work and living in a trailer withher family wasn’t easy and I hadn’t met any of my friends at the Houstonian orwith the National Sports Media Association.
She had to learn things as well, like being a little bit more open with meand learning to have a conversation as things from her past continued to play arole in her mental health.
Our relationship got even harder in late January of 2021, Jazmine’s dad wasworking for a pipeline company and finding work was getting harder.
So, the Cash family made the choice to leave Texas and move back home toNevada.
Despite the tribulations, we were determined to not let a bump in the roadbreak us apart. Throughout our relationship, we took advantage of cheap airlinetickets to visit whenever we had the chance. We sent letters and packages toone another to feel more connected in a physical form and slowly the distancebecame smaller in our hearts.
However, the distance could still be felt on the holidays meant to be spentwith your loved ones.
Valentine’s Day was especially difficult, but it did not mean we could not goon a virtual date to make it seem like a date for the both of us. Long distancemight not be easy, but no relationship is. It is the time and dedication to oneanother that makes relationships work.
I know despite the challenges; long distance is not a hindrance but achallenge of the love you have for another.