Moved for a 7-month relationship; risky, but best decision I made

I moved states for a new relationship after seven months of long-distance. Tim and I met online; he lived in Minneapolis and I lived in Chicago, where I had sworn I would never leave after college. Friends and family warned me against moving so soon, but the idea of a new chapter felt right.

At first I was miserably homesick while adjusting to my first apartment and a demanding new job. Tim stayed patient and supportive — dressing as a giant pizza on Halloween, showing up with a Christmas tree when the first snow fell, and surprising me on Valentine’s Day with chocolate-covered strawberries and three dozen white roses — small acts that helped me settle in.

After six months I began to find my footing: my roommate and I became close, I made new friends, and I even learned to fish. Eight months after I arrived, Tim proposed in an antique store; we were married that December in Chicago. We spent another year in Minnesota before returning to my hometown and putting down roots near my childhood home.

long-distance, moved states, minneapolis, chicago, relationship, homesick, first apartment, new job, proposal, married