fresh + fancy.

Hello again! I am back with another sweet edition in the {distance makes the heart grow fonder} series. Lauren and Amy {from the fab blog, Fresh and Fancy} met in college and were friends for two years before they took the next step. They're now married and living in the Lonestar State! {Fun fact: you may recognize them from the TV show, Four Weddings!} Read along to see how they helped one another follow their dreams--and grow so much as a couple in the process!

Name: Amy

Significant Other's Name:  Lauren

When did you start dating? Lauren and I started officially dating in October of 2005, when we were juniors in college. We actually met on the first day of college at Belmont University in Nashville. We were in the same freshman orientation group, but we didn't hit it off at first. I thought he was super cute and had a crush immediately, but Lauren was a little overly confident and I was a little bit of a snob! We were young and not ready for a relationship right into college. Over the next two years, we became great friends and I developed a huge crush. After two years of friendship, Lauren told me he had fallen in love with me...and the rest is history!

At what point did you begin dating long distance? We began doing long distance in January of 2009. We had both graduated from Belmont University in 2007. Lauren began working full-time and I took a semester off and re-enrolled in nursing school that year.  A year later, after three years of dating, Lauren received a great job opportunity in Los Angeles to work for Warner Brothers Entertainment. I had a year left of nursing school, but we knew Lauren couldn't pass up this opportunity. We decided long distance would be our only option. It was a hard choice, but it was so good for our relationship. This time apart solidified the fact that we both wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.

How did you fill your days while you're apart? It definitely was hard at the beginning to adjust to the "single" life. I was so used to working out, going on dates, and making dinner together. I was in nursing school at the time and Lauren was working full time, so we definitely kept busy. Looking back, I see how important this time was in both of our lives for us to grow as people. We were so used to spending so much time together and doing things as a couple that we forgot who we were as individuals.  This time allowed us to explore other interests during our time apart.

What did you find most difficult about being long distance? The most difficult part of our relationship was just not being able to see each other and spend time together. As simple as that sounds, there were days when I just wished he could be right next to me. I definitely felt lonely. Another difficult aspect was when we would have an argument--it made me much more frustrated that we couldn't talk face to face and work it out.  There was always that feeling of "distance" between us, which was hard.

How did long distance change your relationship? It really helped us appreciate the time we had together and assured us that we wanted to spend our lives together.  It also gave the confidence to know that it is ok to spend time apart and not always do everything together. In our marriage, it has helped us to stay individuals, while still being married. Our long distance relationship saved us from falling into this routine in our marriage. We embrace our time together and our time apart, always knowing that our love remains consistent.

What do you enjoy most about the time you have together? I love that I see get to see him everyday!  I'm so glad that if I need him, he isn't a million miles away. I definitely realized through our long distance years that Lauren was the man I wanted to spend my life with and I am so thankful that we had that time to grow as people. It built a strong foundation for our marriage and I wouldn't change our story for anything!

I can't thank Amy enough for sharing her story with us today :) It is so refreshing to see someone appreciate the distance and realize all that it did to make their relationship stronger! Be sure to give her some love today! Enjoy your Wednesday, friends!