match point.

Welcome to Wednesday, everyone--and you know what that means!? I have another installment 
for you in the {distance makes the heart grow fonder} series! This week, I'm featuring Jason and 
Jaclyn {from A Day in the Life & Mind}, who started dating a year ago and spent five months together
in New York before he went back to school in Florida. They got their start in a different way than 
any of the other couples I've featured--read on to find out more!

Name:  Jaclyn

Significant Other's Name: Jason

When did you start dating? Jason and I met online through Match.com. We had our first date on August 10th, 2010.

At what point did you begin dating long distance? We met while living in Long Island, but five months later, he decided to go back to grad school where his parents live in Florida.  He left in January, and we have been doing long distance ever since.

How do you fill your days while you're apart? Skype has become our best friend.  Being apart is tough, but I have occupied my time through work, blogging, and my new puppy, Libbey.  Jason is busy and focused on school, so we have found the key to making it work is keeping ourselves occupied.

What do you find most difficult about being long distance?  The most lonely Friday and Saturday nights that I occasionally decide to spend at home are the hardest. I hate not having someone to come home to, cook dinner for, and wake up next to.  Luckily, Libbey has helped to fill that hole ;)

How has long distance changed your relationship?  Jason and I have learned to communicate better by being in long distance.  We do not take each other for granted and we truly value each and every opportunity we have to spend together.

What do you enjoy most about the time you have together?  If there is any good to come from a long distance relationship, I would say that you learn to appreciate one another so much more.  We enjoy spending our time together on the beaches of Florida when I visit or the beaches of Long Island when he is in town.  It's the little things that I miss the most though, like not seeing him every day.

Is there any end in sight to your long distance days?  Jason is currently applying to nursing school in hopes of going into nurse anesthesia. We are crossing our fingers that he gets into a school in Florida in January, and from then, he will only have another year of schooling before he's done. I am also working hard at my job with the hopes of being promoted to our corporate office in either Charlotte or Atlanta. The drive to Florida would certainly be a much shorter from North Carolina or Georgia than from New York!

Many thanks to Jaclyn for opening her heart and sharing her story with all of us! It is so encouraging to see long distance relationships that start in many different places :) Have a phenomenal Wednesday!