Six months into this long distance relationship, I am learning a lot about love.

I’ve learned to have patience and faith. Because being in love with someone stirs up a bunch of sticky emotions. And if that someone happens to be 3,000 miles away…well, there are many more challenges.

Six month in, I’m getting used to the pattern…

I know that five minutes before I see Jay for the first time in a long time, I am nervous and thrilled.

And when I see him, I feel like everything is right with the world.

But whatever time we have together: whether it’s a month long Airstream trip or a long weekend…neither feels like it’s enough.

What I know for certain is that while we are together, as we walk down the street holding hands, I feel as though we should always be that way.

The final minutes before we say goodbye are really hard. The tears sneak up on me. And I know I should be strong…grateful that I feel this way about someone. But in that moment, all I can think about is the loss and how much I will miss him.

What keeps me sane is thinking about the next time when we can lock our fingers together once our plane lands in Seattle or New York.