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Plan for closing the distance

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    Plan for closing the distance

    I'm in a little bit of an LD pickle.

    My SO and I have been together for a little longer than three years now, almost all of that time long distance. I'm living in LA county and he's living in San Luis Obispo, CA (200 miles apart). I'm really feeling the distance, but he isn't, and I have been seriously wanting to close the distance for about a year now. We're going through a rough patch (I mean REALLY rough patch), and he doesn't seem particularly keen on moving here, since he just moved out of his parents' house and got a job he really loves. His primary concern about moving down here is that he won't be able to find a job. When we've talked about it in the past, he has also been particularly concerned about finding roommates down here and has been very concerned about whether or not I will break up with him once he has moved down. Another concern is that he is very close to his family, although they don't get along.

    I guess I just wanted to share the plan I've come up with with some other people and get some feedback.

    Right now I am finishing up my undergraduate degree, but will be graduating in the spring. The way I see it, we have two options for closing the distance:

    1. I move there after graduation, which would be a fine solution for a year. I plan on taking a year off before graduate school, so I could spend a year there, but I could not possibly continue to live where he does during graduate school because there are no graduate schools that have my desired program within fifty miles of where he lives. So if I were to move there, it would be a temporary solution, and he would have to move with me anyways if the relationship were to continue to work.

    2. He moves down here after I graduate. In order to cover his fears of the relationship breaking up, we could talk about promising that we will marry each other (we have both made it clear that we want to marry each other). We could move into a studio or one bedroom apartment together, so he doesn't have to find roommates. I could help him fill out applications and set up interviews before he moves down here. I'm planning on getting a job this next semester and have some money in savings, so I should be able to support the both of us for a few months if he were to move down here without a job. We both plan on attending school in the area anyways, so this plan seems to be the best to me.

    My only concern is that he seems to think it is okay to stay living where he is for the next year and stay LD. Two questions: how do the above plans sound, and how do I convince him to close the distance?

    #2
    I vote: Go to him for the temporary year. It will give you that much more bargaining power when the time comes that it's his turn. He loves his job, let him keep it for a while. Also, once he has lived with you he will understand how much LDR truly sucks, in a way he can't see right now because he knows nothing different.

    The best piece of advice I ever read, that has helped me and my partner a ton is: He feels about his job the way you feel about your relationship. If you feel like he's less invested, like he doesn't care as much - that's because he doesn't care as much. He's not wired the same way you are. It seems horrible at first but really it isn't. It's just different. This means that you are going to put in the lions share of the work for the relationship - because you need it more than he does. So do it, and show him why it's great and he wants it

    Best of luck!
    Happily married to the little Canadian boy I never thought I'd meet in person

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      #3
      Move to him. SLO is a freaking great place. I say move there for that reason alone!

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        #4
        Thanks, that looks like what I'll probably be doing, since when I brought up him moving to me he countered with "would you be willing to move for me?" I just hope he doesn't chicken out when it's time to move back to LA for school like he did the last time we tried to close the distance.

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          #5
          i also agree with the above posters, it would be what i'd do if i were in your shoes..
          good luck
          Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again.
          And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends.
          ~Richard Bach


          “Always,” said Snape.

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            #6
            move to SLO, it's a great place there! i loved it when i went there for vacation

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              #7
              I would love to relocate to SLO, but my concern is graduate school. I'll move out there for one year and then I will have to move away again because there is no possible way for me to go to graduate school near my SO. There are no clinical psychology programs in the area, so if he won't move with me after the year of being where he is, I feel like relocating might have been a waste, especially if he wants to stay in SLO the whole five years I'll be in graduate school. We've already been long distance for three years. I can't do a one year break and then five more.

              Comment


                #8
                well if i were in your situation i would take the opportunity to move in with him for 1 year. Since you both are thinking about marriage this will be like a trial stage of living together. But if he moves down to where you are what will happen to his job? will he be able to find a job he will love there or can the company relocate him to your area? I dont know what his major or field of work is currently but it's a tough market out there. If he has a stable job now it'll be kind of risky to change jobs not knowing if he'll 1) love the new company/job, 2) be stable due to a lot of down-sizing in this economy.

                You've been LDR for 3 years and i feel moving in for 1 year will reassure your relationship and make the 5 years go by sooner. Maybe you guys can get engage before you move away for graduate school so it'll be something to look forward to during your education?

                I feel where you're coming from as a woman and where he is coming from as i am kind of in the same situation myself. My SO wants me to move to Monterey with him because he is studying his graduate work there. I have a stable job in SF and studying for my undergrad. I will be giving up a lot to move down there-my work and education.... On top of that he will graduate in 2012 so we will only be living together for 1 year then he will move all over the place (he's in the Navy).

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