local at last.

It's Wednesday! I hope your week is going swimmingly :) Today's installment in the {distance makes the heart grow fonder} series features Josh and Meagan {from Local at Last}. This sweet couple navigated over two years of distance--and made plenty of sacrifices to make it work...

Name: Meagan
Significant Other's Name: Josh

When did you start dating? We officially became a couple on Christmas Day of 2009, though we were "dating" over Skype for about 6 months.

At what point did you begin dating long-distance? We were long-distance from the start! Josh was stationed in Washington, DC and I was going to school in Michigan. It was so difficult to start out that way, but it taught us that physical closeness isn't the only deciding factor in a great relationship. 

How did you fill your days while you were apart? Josh is in the Army, so he had his hands full with all of his military responsibilities. Meanwhile, I worked a three part-time jobs and went to school part-time. We both had no trouble keeping busy!

What did you find most difficult about being long-distance? The toughest part was most definitely managing our mismatched schedules. I didn't get off work until 9 or later most nights, and by the time I got home to get on Skype, Josh was already asleep so he could be up ridiculously early the next day. It made for a lot of disappointment.

How did long-distance change your relationship? Being apart truly helped us establish an emotional relationship and made it easy for us to get to know each other inside and out. It also taught us incredible communication skills. Since we had precious little time together, we really had to make every moment count. 

What do you enjoy most about the time you have together?  When we were long-distance, we made it a priority to see each other at least once every 3 months. Whenever we would get together, we would always have something planned, whether it was touring the National Mall in D.C. or catching a new movie we had been dying to see together. 

What sacrifices did you make in order to make things work? This topic elicits quite a few emotions because I actually lost a few friends during the course of our dating days. Being military and long-distance made it hard for a lot of my friends to understand why Josh and I were so attached. We had all just graduated high school and we were starting college, but I was on the fast track to becoming an adult, while everyone else just wanted to have fun. Unfortunately, I had to separate myself from them because I knew in my heart that Josh was The One. Since they couldn't accept my constant traveling and working, they were just bringing me down. In the end, I'm glad I let go of those people because it gave me the opportunity to surround myself with friends and family who supported Josh and I through every tearful goodbye and our amazing reunions. 

How has your life changed now that you're in the same place? SO MUCH. It is the best feeling in the world to know that I get to see Josh just about every night after I get home from work. No more saving for flights, no more waiting for him to get on Skype, or no more crying my eyes out at the airport. We now have the opportunity to vacation together, instead of to each other. We spend a lot of time preparing for our future, instead of waiting for it to happen.

I can't thank Meagan enough for sharing their story! Though they both sacrificed quite a bit along the way, it paid off for them in the end...and I couldn't be happier for them :) They'll be celebrating their first wedding anniversary soon, so send some love their way. Have a fantastic Wednesday, friends--I'll see you back here for tomorrow with a few pops of pink!