I found my soul mate at the age of 17. I know what you’re thinking ― 17 is way to young to “settle” on someone or that I don’t know what love is. But, I think I have a pretty good idea. This post is probably going to turn sappy and cliché, and I am not in the least bit sorry because this is my life.
Let me give you the short version of a long story: he moved to my home town my freshman year. He dated one of my best friends for a year and then they ended up breaking up. I friend-zoned him so hard because of that. The summer before my junior year, he came over in his beat up fire bird that he was “fixing up” (he would end up selling it because it was a piece), and he filled up my kiddie pool for me.
Our first official date was spent flying cheap kites from Walmart in my back yard and getting those kites stuck in my neighbors trees. Whoops. It still amazes me that he was able to get himself out of the friend zone, but he did. It took off from there and long story short, I would make his truck (his prized possession) break down more times than I can count, we went on vacations, and we continued to grow as people together.
“I’m not going to lie and say that it’s been perfect the whole time... But no amount of arguing could ever change my mind about him.”
I’m not going to lie and say that it’s been perfect the whole time and that we never argue, because every relationship has arguments. But no amount of arguing could ever change my mind about him.
Things got hard when I decided to attend a college two hours away. It was a real challenge going from seeing each other everyday to the possibility of seeing each other twice in a month. I was making new friends that he didn’t know and he was worried. We worked through it. It took a really long time, but we did it.
I encouraged him to get out of his terrible job and so something powerful and constructive with his life. I chose a college two hours away, he chose the Marines. So, long distance and little face time has become our norm. But that’s life, and I wouldn’t trade it or him for anything.
Today is Sunday, so I got to talk to him for about 30 minutes. He’s currently in Cali but won’t be for long. I’m secretly jealous that he gets to travel all the time now. But, I snap out of my envy when I remind myself that he’s not on a vacation, he’s fighting for out county. Saying goodbyes over and over again never gets easier, but I’ll do it for him.
“Long distance and little face time has become our norm. But that’s life, and I wouldn’t trade it or him for anything.”
In the two-plus years we’ve been together, we have both been accepted into each other’s families with open arms. We’ve traveled together, we’ve tried new foods with each other (which is no small thing ― I am the pickiest eater EVER), and we continuously learn from each other. We’ve built homes in each other. He is my safe place and I’m his.
We know that the other needs and we often think the same thoughts at the exact same time (it’s kind of freaky, not going to lie). We openly talk about out futures and our goals with each other. We get mad at each other for stupid things, but we both have a hard time staying mad at the other. We love, it’s what we do.
I know I’m young, but at the ripe age of 19, I’ve already figured out that home is not a place, it’s who you decide to love. I love my Marine. He is my hero, he is my soul mate, and he is my home.
Check out my other posts at hannahholstad.wordpress.com.
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