Let's Talk About Boys- Day TwentyOne.

Like most good deals these days, I found Tommy on the Internet. We met on October 26, 2013. Five days before he started growing the worst mustache to ever see the light of day. I told myself I couldn't break up with him until December, until the mustache was gone. And now here we are December 2014, and I have yet to break up with him. Although he is pushing it with this new beard.

We have certainly had our ups and downs. We dated long distance for seven months, after dating in-person for less than three. There are some perks to long distance. We got to know each other on a deeper level faster, because all we had was talking. We worked hard to maintain contact, over the seven months we probably only missed four or five days of Skype, and we texted constantly. Seeing each once every three months was hard. I remember getting in the car when he picked me up in Charlotte in June and feeling surprised that he was a real person, he didn't just live in my computer. 

Dating long distance means that time together in person is extra special. Going to the grocery store, holding hands in public, or just driving in the car are cherished moments because they are so rare. That was something that was hard for me when I moved back to Asheville. I expected every moment to continue to be special, but instead it was just life. Tommy and I argued because I was hurt every second wasn't right out of The Notebook. But that's what dating in-person is: life. Real dating means we get to experience life together. He gets to work out how he feels about how messy I am. And I get to decide if a life of flatulence is worth listening to. 

Tommy is swell guy. He is patient, he has never pressured me, he has never asked me to compromise my beliefs, and he is always willing to help me work through my struggles. While he isn't Adventist he was raised Baptist and is open to ideas of religion. He cares about making a better world, and living a life of service. He balances my impulsive nature by overthinking everything. 

I don't know what the future holds. But I will never regret dating Tommy, moving across the country for Tommy, loving Tommy.