To give some background, I met my boyfriend Russell about four years ago I was living in Ottawa. I was living my single life out on Tinder, though surprisingly that’s not where we met. It wasn't until a friend of mine at the time introduced me to this tall, handsome guy named Russell, and *spolier alert* we immediately hit it off. A couple of weeks went by messaging each other back and forth until Russell invited me over for dinner and a movie; Star Wars: A New Hope to be exact. I have never watched any of the films by this point and Russell made it his personal mission to have me watch them all (with him of course). This was no "Netflix and Chill," we actually watched the entire movie and then stayed up until 2 in the morning just talking and getting to know one another, after that I Uber’d home. We continued to talk, hang out and watch movies, totally platonic.
Six Months went by of us constantly hanging out, going on hikes and enjoying each other’s company. It wasn't until one night Russell and I were drinking at my house and some liquid courage convinced Russell into FINALLY kissing me. A couple of days later, Russell's internship finished in Ottawa and it was time for him to go back to Queen's University to finish his final year. We started out this relationship with him living in Kingston and myself in Ottawa, a two-hour drive away from each other. Luckily, my parents live just outside of Kingston so it was perfect when I moved back home to start a new job. This meant Russell and I could actually enjoy living close to each other. Five months later and Russell was ready to graduate and move back to Toronto; let the long-distance commence, yet again.
Ah what would we do without Facetime?
One year later I finally decided on what I wanted to do for my education. I chose to study Radio Broadcasting at Humber College in Toronto. Ladies and gentlemen, 2 years of long-distance later and we are finally in the same city for almost a year. We got a taste of how amazing it is to actually see your partner when they ask "What’s up tonight?" or drop you off a coffee on their way home. We had each other close by and we were not letting go. That was until COVID hit. With school being offered remotely via online classes, and everything in lockdown it made no sense for me to stay and pay rent in Toronto, so I moved back home to Kingston. The summer came and went but COVID stayed. With such differences in Toronto’s COVID case numbers vs Kingston’s, it was tough to see each other, but even harder not to.
my favourite call
With long-distance being a big part of our relationship we had to find a way to be with each other that wasn't just phone calls. Before I went back home Russell (being the most amazing nerd) helped me build my first desktop computer! Now I'm thinking it was mostly for him, because I am now hooked on playing PC videogames! I never thought I would be, to be honest, but here I am playing RocketLeague, Phasmophiba, Valheim and Call of Duty (all with Russell). To be clear I have no idea what I’m doing, but I think I'm getting better and I get to hangout with Russell, which is always something I love. We also watch movies together having the movie playing on one screen and the classic Zoom window on the other (multiple monitors for the win). These are just a few examples of how we "hangout," and honestly it has taught me so much about him and myself. (and patience, but don’t tell him that!)
Movie Night!
Today, I’m still living back at home in Kingston, and Russell is still in Mississauga. It’s crazy to believe we started out long-distance and maybe that’s what is keeping us so strong, the fact that we have done this before and we know it’s all worth it when we are able to see each other again. We're practically professionals!
Virtual Valentines Day <3