The number of miles that separates me from my beau on a regular basis: 97.87. With the hectic flow my life is currently swept up in, adding a boyfriend almost a hundred miles away certainly doesn’t lighten the load. Relationships in high school already have the odds stacked against them. Adding in any extra factors is really going to push relationships to the breaking point before they’ve even begun. Distance is never desirable in a relationship. It’s hard to stay close to someone when you are both leading two very separate lives. Often you have to put your plans on hold in order to try to hold onto a connection with that special someone. If you aren’t willing to dedicate an hour every couple of nights to sit on Skype with him or her, then a long distance relationship is never going to work. You’re have to sacrifice a lot; you’ll never be the couple walking down the halls daily holding hands, you can’t make spontaneous plans for any given night, and you won’t get the constant supply of love and attention that you’d like. It’s a personal decision: whilst you are sitting in front of your computer chatting, you have to decide if the face staring back at you is worth giving all that up for. For some people, the separation seems normal; young people often jump into relationships with people far from them. It’s harder, though, when you used to have unvarying access to them daily and then, one day, they aren’t there. Think about a few couples that you know: more often than not, they are a grade apart. When one involved party heads off to college, a feeling of abandonment can ensue. Now both committed members are at separate crossroads. Freshman year of college provides so many new and exciting opportunities; who wants to be tied down to a high school student who is hours away. Girlfriends and boyfriends supply a constant net to fall on when the going gets tough, but they also prevent casual flirtations and exploring any new outlets. After all, college is full of opportunities that don’t involve commitment, which is what many people want, and the one left at home knows that. He or she may need constant reminders of your complete and utter devotion to him or her, or they too could choose casual flirtations over utter commitment. Out of sight, out of mind, right? It can all get very tedious. I would never recommend a long distance relationship. It’s a lot of hard work and requires a lot of blind trust. Sometimes, though, your heart just doesn’t care. If you truly want to be with someone, you’ll find a way to make it work. Some people are worth the heartache of separation, and the memories you had and the future memories you plan to make are enough to keep you going. However, if you aren’t willing to make the effort, it will never work. There is one quote that always reminds me of my sweetheart; it gives me hope and maybe someday our biggest issue will be leaving the toilet seat up when I visit versus overcoming the obstacle of a hundred miles: “Home is where the heart is, and my heart is at home with you.”