If there's anyone who hates crying, it's me. My eyes get puffy, my head starts to throb, and my nose starts to run. It's just not a pretty sight. Now imagine all of that, in the middle of an airport terminal in front of a bunch of people who just found out their flight was cancelled. Let it be known that I wasn't crying because of my flight delay. Yet, among all of the people one stranger set aside my horrific appearance and asked, "Why are you crying?"

I was in the airport that day about to embark on one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with in my young adult life: a long-distance relationship. I know what you're thinking, "Relax, it's not that big of a deal." But to me, it is. You see, when you meet someone who makes you look at life differently and who makes you see yourself differently every moment is a big deal. Your life becomes a series of big deals, and moments you wish you could relive over and over until one day you can't. For me, this was the day I dreaded the most. How could I continue with my everyday routine when this person had always been a part of it? When I turned to look at the stranger in front of me, I asked, "Who me?" He smiled and began to give me the best advice I've ever gotten.

In life and in love, we have to be willing to go the distance... sometimes literally. Being apart from your partner isn't always easy, especially when it's for long periods of time. But in that time, making sure to set aside time to speak with your partner is important. It might seem impossible to not focus on the negative, but when you do it makes a situation that isn't necessarily bad look terrible. In being apart from each other you both will learn how to appreciate one another so much more. The time you get to physically be with each other will be valued, and not taken for granted.

There will be days that it seems impossible to get through, and moments of arguing and bickering because of the distance. But, anything worth having doesn't come easy. One thing I've learned throughout this whole process, is big girls do cry. It's okay to be upset and to feel like you don't know how to get through it. But always remember to tell yourself that you will get through it. Through past experiences I've tried to live my life by always telling myself everything happens for a reason. You might not see it right away, but there's always a reason for our struggles and our successes. To think this is only the beginning of my long-distance relationship, is both equally scary and exciting. Scary in the sense that I'm already missing him, exciting in the sense that I can't wait to feel the rush of pure joy that will come over me the next time I see him. In life and in love we have to be willing.

At this point, the chaos of cancelled and delayed flights had died down, and only the faint cries of babies (and me, of course) could be heard. I sat there staring at the floor, and then at the hand of this stranger who was handing me a tissue. He stood, and told me, "You got this."

I got this.