Campus Conversations

Oxy Visits and Long Distance Relationships

February 21, 2012

Hey gang. As I've previously mentioned, I am still on break! Though technically abroad this semester, (I'm going to Japan, woot!) the Japanese semester doesn't start until April, so until then I'm bumming around at home. So far it's been pretty fun. I appeared in the annual alumni New Years production of "The Compleat Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" at the theater I spent most of my high school years in.

Since then I've been been house and dog sitting for a family friend (or a friend's family, I'm never sure which) and doing housework for my mom. Yipee! Well, she's paying me so, I'm actually pretty happy about it. Anyway. Most recently I stage managed a youth production of Hamlet at my theater (Seattle Public Theater, if you're interested) and it was awesome! I was in Hamlet at my high school senior year, directed by the same woman who directed the Hamlet I just stage managed for, and actually one of the actors, who was a freshman in my Hamlet, was in this Hamlet again as a senior! It was all very exciting. My cast was awesome and beautiful and fabulous and I love them.

Hamlet

So that was fun. Last week I got to take a birthday/Valentines Day/anniversary trip to Oxy to see my friends. I didn't realize how much I'd missed a lot of the people I'd been hanging out with all of last semester, let alone the guys back from abroad. My boyfriend and I (we lived in the same freshman dorm, go Brauncest!) celebrated our 2nd anniversary the day after Valentines Day at MIA sushi, an Eagle Rock restaurant. It was great. Which brings me to my title.

So, my boyfriend spent last semester in Argentina, which was awesome and he had a great time, but it also meant that he and I haven't seen each other since he visited me in June while I was doing undergraduate research at Oxy. And we're not going to see each other again until September when our senior year starts up. Which is sad and lame and stupid, but that's how it worked out. I know a lot of people decide to break up or take a break or something when this kind of thing happens. Heck, I broke up with my boyfriend of a year when I came to Oxy, and there's nothing wrong with that. But there's nothing wrong with staying together and trying to make it work too.

Basically what I'm saying is, it sucks either way (breaking up or staying together) but don't think you have to break up just because you're not going to see each other for a year, or maybe more. If you want it to work it will, it all depends on communication and commitment. Keep that in mind when you're deciding what college to go to; being physically close might not be as make it or break it as you think.

Congrats to early admit students and good luck to regular appliers!