Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like, being in a normal relationship. One where you see the person you're dating more frequently than once a month. Funny, that the first real relationship I'd get myself into would be long-distance. (It says something about my wariness of commitment.) Sure, we have summers together, but that's only about a quarter of the year. The rest of the time, it's all about me procrastinating on packing, accumulating frequent-flier miles, having my skin break out from flying, and lugging suitcases hither and thither. And when I have to pack up to leave at the end of a visit, I always muse about how nice it would be if we actually lived in the same city. Or even just within an hour of each other, rather than 500-or-so miles. It would mean I could throw stuff in a car instead of stuffing it into a suitcase.

But, somehow it works. He's anally compulsive about doing work. Me, I'm soooo not. My idea of "hard work" is looking at my books for an entire thirty minutes without interruption. Then I'll pat myself on the back and read magazines for the rest of the day. I'll go to the library with him, bring stuff to work on, and instead end up reading the newspaper, playing online games and emailing friends asking if it's time for a study break yet for the next three hours. Sometimes I'll even just fall asleep, to his great amusement. If I were living in the same city with him while he's in law school, I think that I'd shoot him and end up breaking up with him, because I wouldn't be able to stand the constant studying. It's admirable, his devotion to his work, but greatly annoying at the same time.

And I don't know what I'd do with him around all the time. Sure, during the summer it's fine. I adapt, and I love it. But I enjoy having my own life too much. And I know myself, that all-too-easily, I'd become wholly absorbed by him and not see anyone else. Sure, it would be easy enough to counter that - but at the same time it's even easier to have him be my main playmate. If I need to go to dinner with someone, I know he'll be there. If I want to go to the beach, he'll be there. So on, and so forth.

So, it works right now. As annoying as the travelling is, as much as I hate packing, it works.

It's another year before he's done with school, and we're both back in LA. And then, at that time, we'll see where things are. But I've been promised, that as soon as I find a place that lets me have a dog, he'll buy me a little white fluffy dog that we can bring to brunch. You have no idea how excited I am. I'm already thinking of names for it. Since I'm not allowed to name it Fifi or Princess, I've decided that Charlie is sort of cute.