My boyfriend and I have been together for a little over a year now, and within that time we have become very close. Not only is he my boyfriend, but he is my best friend. I know this may sound cheesy, but it's the truth ;)
Richie graduated from UW-Madison last December with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and during the past nine months has applied for hundreds of jobs- within the area and even as far away as China. One of the jobs he was very interested in was a position in design engineering at a company called Cummins in Columbus, Indiana (they design diesel engines for trucks and heavy machinery). About a month later he heard back from the company and was excited to hear that he had gotten the position, he was very relieved to get such a great job!
Although we were both happy he finally got good paying job in a nice area, it was a bittersweet reality. Over the past month Richie and I have been shopping for things to fill an apartment from items such as toothpaste, to dishes and silverware, and a new bed. (and if you can imagine, it wasn't the cheapest shopping trip ever!). My family and I also had a surprise going away party for him last weekend to celebrate his accomplishments. It turned out really well, he got to see a lot of his friends from college and high school, along with family members he hasn't seen in a while. Although he usually doesn't like surprises (he's quite shy), he said that the party was the best present he could ask for!
Last week we made the long drive of ten hours to Columbus, IN to finally get him settled in. When we got there we immediately started making a list of all the things we needed to buy to fill his apartment. The next two days were filled with countless trips to Wal-Mart, the electric company, Comcast (television), and even Verizon to set up a new cell phone service. With all of the shopping trips we made, we also got to see the town- which is very beautiful. It is surrounded by five lakes, and also has really good hunting- this was something that Richie was very excited about!
Even though I am beyond proud of Richie and all that he has worked for, I still didn't want him to leave. Saying goodbye at the airport on Saturday morning was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I am so used to being with him everyday, and being able to go to him when I have a problem or just need to talk. Now he is nine hours away, and because of this I'll only be able to see him once a month- if that.
Although it will be very tough to get used to, for the both of us, in the long run it is worth it. Richie was able to get a very good job, and will be able to transfer within the company in the next few years; and hopefully these next years will go by fast, because I already miss him like crazy!!
Thank God for cell-phones, email, Skype, ohhh and I can't forget about Facebook ;)
