A Love So Strong

In a recent conversation with my bestie, we discussed the complications and troubles that sometimes come with long-distance relationships. And I'm not going to lie: long-distance relationships are hard. Anyone who says differently is selling you something (quick name that movie! Alright fine it's The Princess Bride). But honestly, I love it. It is my personal opinion--coming from personal experience--that Jordan and I are stronger and closer because we live far away from each other. Ironic, right?

But think about it. Because we live apart and can't be together every single day, we have to place a LOT of trust and faith in each other. And I think everyone would agree that trust is one of the most important qualities in a relationship. Also, it's just that much better when we do finally get to see each other after several weeks apart. The only way I can get through it is technology. And thank heaven for it! Sure, some might say that we don't really get to know the other person or see them in all different kinds of situations since we're not together in person. But it's different for every couple, and we have been able to learn SOOO much about each other just through texting and Skyping and phone calls and visits. I love him more than anything and being apart doesn't change that.

So for anyone who doesn't know, here's the story of how we met:
Well, Jordan and I actually met last April because he was a missionary serving in my ward (don't judge me until you finish the story okay? I promise this is legal, geez). I actually gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting that first Sunday he came to our ward. Weird. Anyway, my parents were ward missionaries so he and his companion would come over every Saturday for a breakfast meeting. Usually the seven of us would stay downstairs and watch TV since we were too embarrassed to come up in our pajamas and glasses. But gradually I got to know them more and felt more comfortable to talk and joke around with them. Here's the funny part: Jordan (Elder Stewart at the time) was kind of dating/writing someone and I was kind of dating/writing someone so we would actually share crazy ridiculous stories with each other about the people we were writing, not really thinking much about it. He was just a really good friend and an amazing missionary that I really appreciated. Elder Stewart served in our ward until September. He got transferred a few weeks after I left for college. Coincidence??? Who knows haha.

Anyway, that was about it at the time. We became friends on Facebook while he was still on his mission and I was at school. But he was going home in December and I was actually really excited to talk to him again (and actually pretty confused about why I was so excited). So I sent him a quick message congratulating him on finishing his mission, not really expecting much to come from it. But we started talking, exchanged numbers and then texted every so often. On the ride home from school, I even told my parents that I had talked to him to see if anything would come of it but I really didn't think so. Well I was completely wrong haha.




We kept texting. And texting. Pretty soon it was hard for me to go a day without talking to him. And then on Christmas, two weeks exactly since he had been home, we Skyped for the first time. And that pretty much did it for me. He hadn't changed since I had seen him 3 months earlier (besides the fact that he was growing a beard) because he still teased me just as much, if not more than he did on the mission. But that was the Jordan I had become good friends with. By the way, it took me awhile to get used to calling him Jordan. Anyway, we texted everyday and Skyped whenever we could. But we both didn't really mention anything about a relationship cause honestly it scared me. I knew we had both been writing people so I didn't want to say anything.

And then something happened. Actually, nothing happened. It just came naturally. We would Skype and he would say really sweet things. And we would share quotes and songs about love because it felt normal. He even sent me flowers on Valentine's Day. Brownie points for him :)

We never said, "Alright it's official we're dating." We both just felt the same way about each other and started talking and acting like we were. I told him I loved him in a message but he said it to me in person first. It made me so happy and I felt like I had been attacked by a swarm of butterflies. And from that point on, we were completely and undeniably in love.

So I need to throw this out there. Before I met Jordan, I pretty much had my entire life planned and was comfortable with it. I'm not one who generally appreciates change and I was really worried that everything would change once I went to college. I was trying to accept whatever God had in store for me, even though I really just wanted Him to do what I wanted. Well, in case you didn't know, it doesn't quite work that way. But here's the best part: God's plan is SO much better and SO much happier than anything we could plan for ourselves. Yeah it was hard to deal with some things once Jordan and I became official, but it didn't scare me and I was still happy. God is good.

Anyway, back to the story. He finally decided to plan a weekend to come up to Washington and asked for the time off. Talk about being nervous. We hadn't seen each other in person since September WHEN HE WAS A MISSIONARY. And this was going to be quite a different experience since we didn't have to be formal. He came up on Thursday, March 8 and showed up around 10 pm, right before I got home from work. Alex actually saw him first parked on the street, so I turned around to see him walking toward me. I dropped my bag and we hugged. In the middle of the street. Under a streetlamp. With my dad recording and Alex, Jenna, Jaron, Megan, Bri and Mom all watching. But I didn't care. It was perfect and perfectly natural. Everyone was concerned that it would be really awkward the first time we were together since we had only been together in person when he was a missionary. But it wasn't at all. We had a great weekend together and it was extremely hard to separate again. But I was looking forward to reuniting in April when I came down for school.

So there ya go. We've been getting closer ever since and it just gets better every day! We've made a ton of memories and had quite a few adventures in the last almost 8 months. I haven't felt this happy in a long time and I'm extremely excited for what the future is bringing. He's my rock and support in everything. He loves me unconditionally and I couldn't ask for a better best friend who completes me perfectly. Trust me, it's not roses and hearts all the time. We have our struggles. But like everything else, it makes us stronger and better for each other. I wouldn't trade anything for a love this strong.

The Beauty of Life

I'd like to think of myself as a good writer. Not because I have good grammar or an elevated vocabulary (even though I do have both haha), but because my writing is passionate and honest. I try to incorporate my style and voice into whatever I write, whether it be a research argument or a talk for church.  When you just let your mind spill freely onto paper without any worries or inhibitions holding you back, true genius is allowed to emerge. And that's what makes good writing.

I've always been an avid journal writer, beginning at the age of 7. And in the last 12 years or so, I've completed roughly 5 journals. Granted, not everything written is significant or even useful. But it's still fun to see the changes I've gone through and the lessons I've learned. As life has gotten busier, it's been harder to be more consistent with my record keeping and writing has become a lot more time consuming. So that is why I've decided to try blogging. It's a lot faster, and this way I can write more detail in a shorter amount of time. And as another added bonus, maybe someone will be inspired or helped by what I have to share. I enjoy reading other bloggers' posts and finding useful encouragement so I thought I would give it a try as well.

Don't expect anything fancy cause I'm a simple person. And that's alright with me. As my blog title explains, it's the little things in life that usually mean the most and make the biggest differences. And at times we tend to overlook them. But I've noticed that as I focus more on the simple daily miracles and blessings, life is just a lot happier overall. And that's the beauty of life.