Leaving to return home tomorrow...

Any tips? I'm a complete mess... I've spent every last waking minute with this person...*sigh*

How do you guys walk away without breaking down in the airport?

[Kristin91]

Most times you don't... you just cry and move on until you can count down the days until you see each other again. Every time I've had to say goodbye to my SO I always cry.

[kyoung]

It is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I cried and was miserable for awhile, but you have to learn to cope with it. Try to focus on the positive.

[futuremillward1220]

I normally just let it all out. I left my SO yesterday and cried in his arms for a good 30 minutes before I left, then felt fine. Sure, I feel terribly lonely today, but just finding your own way to cope will help greatly! This could be as simple as calling someone for a good laugh while you're waiting for your flight or keeping yourself busy.

[Dezface]

Yeah, I just go with the breakdown. I cried all the way through customs when I left him last. It's sad and heartbreaking and I think you just gotta give in.

[MattDavies86]

With great difficulty!!! When I had to leave my SO from Bangkok airport I was devastated!! I really wanted to just say "Sod it im staying" lol, but in the end, without a job, I'd have no money and we'd have no chance to be together, I won't lie I had to fight back some tears myself, I'm lucky to possess great self control and a level head, so I managed, despite hurting inside. what made it worse was I f'd up my flight times, so I was at the airport 7 hours before i had to fly!!!! (long story about a connecting flight I was meant to catch but didn't because I stayed with her) so I could have had another 3-4 hours with her before leaving, but instead I was stuck in the airport alone, in the same country while she was only an hour away... devastating lol, but got over it, she made me a video on my nintendo DS so I could watch when I got on the plane, it was something to look forward to! and I watch this video every night before bed, last thing I do lol.

[dizzyupthemeg]

Like everyone else has said, you have your breakdown and then move on because you don't have a choice. I always cry, and regardless of how busy I stay once I am home, I always break down at least one or two more times. For me, leaving never gets easier and I have found it's just easier for me to cry it out.

[Mims27]

Ditto what everyone said. Just let it out. It'll feel good. I wont lie, the first time I left my SO I cried the whole way home. From Atlanta to Ottawa. I can't say it gets easier each time but I can control it way more than I used to. I know what to expect and how to deal with it more. I think the worse is the night before I leave and we are just laying in bed and crying. You just have to remember that you will see this person again soon and be strong.

[Irina_Linn]

you know,i may be wrong but in my case it was the hardest.because both times we met, his parents were with us in the airport, as i lived with his family.now notice: he is Indian and his parents do not approve of French kissingeven for goodbye so all i had was hugging him (not too long tho) and honestly i felt even relieved walking away as i cud cry and let my emotions out lol.

[Alsfia]

Crying isn't all that bad. I strongly dislike crying, or, I absolutely hate it, but it's better than press everything down to later. I've got better self conotrol now, and we try and arrange for the next visit latest a couple days before leaving to make it easier (which really have helped!). Once we spent an entire day before I left making a calendar showing when we have school, when we are free and so on, and that has also helped because even if you can't book you can atleast look at when you're on holiday simoultaneously. But I agree with the other posts, cry all you want. Besides, you might even be as lucky as I was last year, some guy felt so sorry for me when he saw me crying that he let me board before him and let me have one of the best seats (isle front row, extra leg room )
Hang in there

[XxFranticLovexX]

Like everyone else said, just let it out. I managed to (somehow) hold it together in front of him.. even though I hugged him and didn't want to let go while being on the verge of tears hiding my face on his chest.. and I tried to sleep most of the way home to keep my mind off it. I spent almost every hour, every day, for about a month with him so once I was back in my house alone I kinda completely fell apart and didn't really know what to do with myself for about a week or so, but it gets easier. Eventually you'll fall back into your old routine and get back to how things were before but you will always remember what it was like being with them and you'll always be wishing that you were still there.

[AABRCL05]

Ditto to what everyone else has said. I cry everytime I leave or he leaves...just remember that at some point you will be able to see your SO again!

[Verojoon]

I left yesterday... everything went wrong... I was a mess... I'm numb now... I have a feeling I'll be a mess again once I thaw a little...

[jessandeddie21]

As everyone else said, I always break down and cry at the airport. It's hard to leave that one person you love, and for me it doesn't get easier no matter how many times I have to do it. When I get back home and see him on Skype again, I end up crying. It's just so sad to believe that earlier I was right there in his room with him and now we are hundreds of miles apart again I've found a way to keep a positive attitude when I get home though is to start planning things for when I will see him again, or even make him a gift. Once when I left, I got home and started the scrapbook I was gonna make for our one year anniversary, even though it was a couple months away. It just helped keep my mind occupied and looking forward to seeing him next. I also saw an idea on here once to make a paper chain with as many links as days until you see your SO again, and take them off to countdown the days. I think I'm going to do that tonight because I miss him so much and can't wait!

[charly]

we try and arrange for the next visit latest a couple days before leaving to make it easier (which really have helped!).

This! Having something to look forward to, makes it easier to convince yourself that you see each other again Don't think you can stop the crying. Just watch out with a lot of make up and bring tissues. I always get that overwhelming 'what is happening now is NOT okay' feeling. Everything in me just screams that I have to stay...And then that point of goodbye comes. I always cry all the way to customs (or where ever we say goodbye) and afterwards I just feel numb... I just said goodbye this morning, its such a strange idea that I'm now sitting in my own little apartment, while this morning I woke up next to the sweetest guy in the world. It never gets easier, but somehow (for me atleast) routine will come back easier.