Pandemic Love

Transatlantic Pandemic Love // She/Her

[transatlanticpandemiclove]

When you're in an LDR and Facebook messenger and WhatsApp go down ...

I sent him and email today!

I've never sent him an email...

[transatlanticpandemiclove]

Yesterday I received my first dose of the Covid vaccine.

This past year has been difficult.

I was planning a trip to see him last summer, and as we all know... life was put on hold in the early spring.

It wasn't just a trip to see him. It was a trip to meet him.

We've never met.

Getting the vaccine hopefully will open the doors for me to travel.

I can only imagine what those first few moments will be like between us - and my eyes fill up just thinking about it.

We're both older... and had long given up on the possibility of finding someone to love, who would love us back.

Falling in love with someone who is 5000 miles away is difficult and complicated enough with all of the ups and downs of every day life. Throw in a pandemic and strict travel restrictions, and all of the stress and anxiety of a budding relationship, long distance, and working through melting hearts that were long frozen... it has been a journey.

24 hours after my first shot and my arm is sore, and I'm still a little tired. I'm anxious for the second dose and whatever side effects it may bring... but it's worth it if it even brings me one day closer to being with him.

[transatlanticpandemiclove]

Friday nights are hard.

Even if we were on the same continent, we wouldn't be able to go out due to the pandemic...

But I don't even want to go out.

I want to stay in.

Dress up. Cook dinner. Watch a movie, or a live stream of bands/musicians we like. Have a bottle of wine... just BE and be together.

But, we can't.

He's going to bed soon because it's nearly 3 am where he is, and I'm just getting home from work and going to start some laundry.

We'll have a few minutes to chat. And I'll inevitably get irrationally sad as we say goodnight.

I long for the day we can goodnight in each other's arms.

[transatlanticpandemiclove]

Navigating communication is complicated.

It's tough enough when you're in the same room with someone. Many things get lost and confused along the way.

Our own impressions are cast upon someone else's words.

5000 miles between makes for many detours in conversation and sentiment.

It's tough.

But worth it.

[transatlanticpandemiclove]

We liked the same band.

We started as friends.

We messaged every few months, which turned into every few weeks. Then every few days. Then every day.

We fell in love.

We have never met.

We happen to live 5000 miles apart, with an entire continent and an ocean between us.