It's A Love Story Baby Just Say Yes: Part 2

Surviving The Distance

If you missed part 1 of our love story, you can find it HERE.

Chris graduated from Winthrop in May of 2007.

I was just getting started with my degree.

In the Fall of 2007 I was starting my sophomore year.

Chris was still working at the restaurant he had been working at before he graduated, but was steady looking for other work.

During this time, I was very unhappy at school.

I didn't like what I was studying.

A degree in fitness/wellness.

I started asking myself, "What in the world am I ever going to do with a degree in fitness?"

"I could be a personal trainer."

"But I could do that without a degree."

I also wasn't getting along with my roommate.

I loved having Chris' house to go to as an escape to get away from it all.

College was the first time I had ever been away from home.

It was nice to have an actual house to go to and spend time at when school got overwhelming.

During that semester, Chris hit me with the news that he had been offered a job in Hilton Head, and that he wanted to take it.

Six hours away from where I went to school.

I was devastated.

There went my escape from school.

There went my best friend.

There went the last thing holding me at Winthrop.

When I came home for Christmas break, I told my parents that I didn't want to go back to school.

I begged them not to make me go.

Without Chris there, I didn't really have anything to be there for.

I hated my major.

I fought all the time with my roommate.

I was miserable.

It was really hard on my parents, but they let me make my own decision.

In January 2008, I came back home to live in Charleston with my parents,

and Chris started his new job in Hilton Head.

The distance was rough.

Chris worked during the day, when I was off of work.

I worked at night when Chris was off of work.

It was hard to communicate.

Chris worked a lot of weekends, as did I, and it was hard to find time to visit each other.

We fought, a lot.

All the time.

There were times when one of us or both of us wanted to give up.

Chris was struggling making enough money to live in Hilton Head, so he ended up moving back to Rock Hill within a year of leaving.

This move still put us at the same distance as if he was in Hilton Head.

When we visited each other,

everything would be great.

But then we'd go back home and fall into our same rut.

Arguing.

Fighting.

About every little thing you could possible imagine.

I told you in Part 1 that 3 months into our relationship, Chris had told me that he wanted to marry me.

When April of 2009 came and I still didn't have a ring

(almost 3 years later),

I decided I needed to find a way to take care of myself.

So I joined the Army.

I figured it was time to stop waiting on an engagement that might never happen,

and it was time to do something for myself.

This was a defining moment for our relationship.

As much distance as we had already survived,

this was the ultimate test.

I don't really have a lot of pictures of us from this time because we literally spent so little time together.

So I'll leave you with this one :)

This was taken on a weekend visit when we went down to the aquarium for the day.

Stay tuned for Part 3!