As some of you know, I have just returned from a work trip to Prague and I have been away for more of a week from home and my girlfriend.
There are people, lots of people, who periodically travel for work and go away from their partners and families, and some for even longer periods of time than the week I did away.
I have to admit, I didn't expect to feel the way I felt for just one week - before I departed, I thought my girlfriend was overreacting.
Then once I got away, I realized that she wasn't.
This realization hit me the first night in hotel - when for the first time in a while, I went to bed completely alone.
Those are the five (obvious) things I learned while being distant from my partner.
- I can be serene and have fun on my own
That's a given I think. After all, we are grown independent adults. We don't need to constantly hang around each other to go about our lives, work and have fun.
While in Prague, my colleagues and I visited the attractions and hotspots of the city, the Castle and the museums. We also ate and went out almost every night.
I admit I have had a lot of fun, but I also had to recon with something...
- I constantly had her in my mind
Not that she's not on my mind when we're together, to be clear!
But there was always this "How she's doing? Is everything going well for her right now?" thought popping up in my head - during the work summits, during the work lunches, during our evenings out. Always.
- I missed her, a lot.
This is probably the biggest thing I had to learn and experience.
I knew I would have missed her, I just didn't realize I'd miss her that much.
This made me confess to myself that at least a little part of me was taking her for granted. That I wasn't really that prepared to be without her. And in one of our video calls, I admitted this to her. She just smiled and said it was only for a few days and that I could call her anytime.
- She went through the same things
Everything I experienced, she did as well.
She worked, did her things, went out with my sister and other friends.
After all, as I said before, we are grown and independent adults. The same way it was for me, she didn't need me to go on about her daily life, work and have fun.
But the same way I did, she missed me and a couple of days in she joked that our bed was "too large without me".
- Distance makes the heart fonder
Naturally, the sweetest moment was when I got back and we could finally hug each other.
It was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced.
Because even though we are independent people, being partners also means becoming a part of each other. And when a part of your being is distant, it's just natural you suffer.
And this made me think and reflect.
How other people, and G@gers too, who experience this kind of distance, and for more than a meager week.
Maybe for more weeks or even months.
Maybe their partners are business people, or specialists, or soldiers, or just people who need to travel away for work.
How they cope with this and keep their flame of love alive.
Dear G@gers who experience this, feel free to share your stories and situations!
I'd very happy to read and learn from them!
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