Does Distance Make the Heart Grow Fonder, or is it Just a Bitch?

Distance will forever be the main problem in my life.

I’m a searcher. By distancing myself from the familiar, the tsunami of transition leaves me with a flood of new opportunities. By driving away from the city, I can finally breathe. The stars are visible now that I’m away from the smog.

When making a college decision, I chose one halfway across the country—a convenient 750 miles away. When the walls of my perfect suburban hometown became too small for my liking, I bolted for what I called a “bigger and better” the first chance I got. Though I love my quaint university town, I plan on hopping on the first flight to New York City as soon as my cap is thrown in the air. For me, a self-proclaimed dreamer, there will always be a pursuit of a “bigger and better.” Unfortunately, that means I make the conscious choice to alienate myself from those I care about most.

Although I will always reaffirm that the benefits of leaving trump the downfalls, I honestly believe that missing people is the worst feeling in the world. I hate feeling unproductive, and I have always staunchly believed that if we dislike some aspect of our lives, or if we are unhappy with how we feel, we should take initiative to change that. However, when we are physically hundreds, or however many unattainable miles, away from people, there is simply nothing we can do to alter that situation. Idleness becomes the only option, and teleportation jumps to the top of our dream superpower list. We spend more time away from people than we do enjoying their company. We spend more time missing them than we do loving them. Our heads become stuck further in the past than the present. It seems as if our only choices are to mull in the unfairness, or try to forget about the plaguing sadness. In turn, we set ourselves on the path to working the people we love out of our lives.

At the end of the day, distance is a bitch. America, you need to think about getting a size reduction procedure. Technology, you need to get on that teleportation device.

Unfortunately, without distance, there would be no way the heart could grow fonder. The longing and nostalgia that makes our eyes glassy and our nights sleepless ultimately remind us how much we miss people. Distance’s bitchiness slaps us in the face, warning us never to take anyone for granted. At the end of the day, if we can feel the wretched sensation of missing someone, we are so lucky. It means we are capable of loving and being loved in return. Someone somewhere out there cares about us.

For now, I am so lucky to have people to miss.

Tags : bitch, city, College, distance, family, featured, Friends, Growing Up, Happiness, Home, hometown, life, lifestyle, Love, Miscellaneous, miss you, missing you, moving, moving on, Nostalgia, sadness, Travel, university