Significant Others: Girlfriends & Boyfriends / Question
Published: May 9, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I am sixteen and my boyfriend is seventeen. I have been with my boyfriend for about four months now. I met him at a camp that we both have been going to for years and I found out that he liked me all those years! Anyway, he lives about 2 1/2 hours from me and we only get to talk on the phone maybe once a week (if that). He told me that he loves me, and I don't know quite what his definition of love is, and I know that I deeply love him. Lately it has been really getting on my nerves that I can't see him more often. I met him in Central Park in October, and it was really great because I knew it wasn't easy for him to find transport there. Lately I have been missing him. I wish I could see him again. I asked him "will I be able to see you any time soon?" and he said, "I don't know." I know that I really want to be with him, but the way he has been acting lately I wonder if he has enough "fight" in him to make this relationship work. And I have no idea what I am going to do when he goes off to college. Please give me any advice you can on this matter. Thanks.
Signed: Long Distance Camp Romance
Dear Long Distance Camp Romance,
The only thing TeenHealthFX can do is speculate, along with you, about your boyfriend's thoughts about your relationship. The best thing to do is to talk to him and ask him where he sees the relationship going. Long distance relationships can be very difficult to maintain. It is especially tricky for teens who do not have easy access to transportation to make the trips to see the other person on a regular basis. It seems obvious that he cares about you since he journeyed to meet you despite the hardship.
If the relationship does not work out try not to blame yourself or your boyfriend. Sometimes it is the circumstance and not the person dictate the outcome. For another question like yours, see "Long Distance Relationship".
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Alcohol kills 6.5 times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined.
