A lot can happen in two years. As someone who just reached the two year mark in their relationship, what’s really incredible to me is when most of the memories you make involve another person. I’ve learned firsthand that this is what happens when you date someone for two years.
You have outdoor adventures.
The outdoor adventures are some of the most fun times you’ll ever have. There will be beach days, where you pack the towels, sunscreen and snacks to spend a day in the sand. There might even be boat days, where you pack the same supplies, but soak up the sun from the boat deck. There will be camping outings, probably with each other’s families. If they aren’t full blown camping trips, there will at least be some great bonfires and s’mores with family and friends. Depending on where you live, there could be hunting outings together, or even just hikes through the woods or a park. In the winter, there will be sledding and tubing adventures, and maybe you’ll even ski or snowboard together. No matter the time of the year, you’ll have plenty of memories of being outside in the two years you spend with that special someone.
You share your favorite music.
Sharing music is one of the best parts of a relationship in my opinion. Not only has my boyfriend introduced me to some of my favorite artists in the last two years, we’ve now seen a few of them in concert. It’s just a really great feeling to play a song and then be able to talk about it or the artist with someone who’s interested. Then, it’s even greater to sing along to them in concert with your significant other right beside you, just as excited. We also have a concert bucket list of all the artists we want to see together someday that we’ve developed in the last two years.
You share your favorite TV shows and movies.
Sharing shows and movies is almost as great as sharing music. Again, you have someone to sit and watch entire series with on Netflix. You have someone to discuss the plot and characters with. You have someone to laugh with during all the funny parts or to be there during all the dramatic or emotional parts of a show. And when one series ends, you just pick another one to watch together. Over time, you accumulate a running list of favorite, go-to shows, and then ones you tried out, but didn’t get as into. The same goes for movies. Whether it’s on Netflix or you see it in theaters together, you’ll see some of your favorite movies for the first time with that person. Not all will end up on your list of favorites, but it’s still nice to see the credits roll or walk out of a theater and have someone who agrees that the movie was “just OK.”
You own half of their closet.
Stealing clothes is another great part of a relationship. Your SO might think otherwise, but if they really minded, they’d tell you no, right? Especially over the span of two years. Because in that time, I can’t tell you how many t-shirts, hoodies, and pull-overs I’ve taken. I try to be nice and take the ones he doesn’t wear, but sometimes I can’t help it when his favorites are my favorites. And there’s something so much comfier about sleeping in his old t-shirts than sleeping in my own. It’s probably the smell, the one that I’ve grown very accustomed to over two years.
You become best friends.
From all of the sharing, they become your best friend. To me, that means more than the label of boyfriend. He’s more than the guy I’ve gone on dates with for the last two years; he’s my go-to person. There are all of the favorites we share and the adventures we’ve had. Then, there are also all the other, every day things we’ve shared like riding in the car and talking about our days. It is so, so important to be with someone that you can talk about and share absolutely anything with.
You have gifts from them everywhere.
The clothes thing might generally be more of a girl thing, but having gifts from your boyfriend or girlfriend everywhere goes for both members of a long term couple. You get to a certain point in two years where you can just look around your room, and see so many things given to you by your special someone. There are stuffed animals, clothes and jewelry of course, but it goes beyond that. Over a couple years, you also have books, handwritten notes, cards, framed pictures (which show quite the physical evolution in both of you), even shoes, coats, hats and gloves. Basically anything, traditional or random, that you’ve wanted during the last two holiday seasons, birthdays and summer trips, along with the things you point out on casual afternoons at the mall.
When it comes to the gifts you’ve received, you also have to give their family a lot of credit. They too get you the best stuff. They get you your favorite candy and food, either as a holiday present or to keep around their house for you. They get you cute, practical things like bags, clothes, and even a toolbox for your dorm room.
Their family includes you.
This brings me to the larger thing that happens with your significant other’s family when you date for two years; they include you in everything. In other words, you become a part of their family. You go on awesome trips to places you haven’t been. You do things that your family wouldn’t necessarily do. You’re invited to all of their family events, from Thanksgiving to their little sister’s birthday. Heck, when they aren’t around, you still go see their family. You feel completely comfortable being in their house when they’re not there because it’s like your second home. Of course, the same goes for them and your family.
You deal with life together.
There are a lot of serious and difficult moments you’ll face together in the course of two years. If you’re a younger couple, you have to be there during graduations and major life decisions like selecting a college or starting a job. You have to figure out how to let each other grow, by say, going to separate colleges, but still maintaining your relationship. Also, somewhere within two years, you may very well find yourself supporting them through a loss, whether it’s a family member or a pet or both. You may even find yourself supporting them through a really difficult time, like a serious health scare. To deal with life together, you have to be supportive and understanding. In two years, you’ll learn how much you can depend on them and how much they can depend on you.
You consciously choose each other every day.
Because of everything life throws at you, you have to consciously choose each other every day. Choosing them is the key. That’s how a two year or more relationship continues. That’s commitment in a nutshell. Consciously deciding that no matter what happens, no matter who else may come along, they’re the one for you is how a relationship stays stable. If you both choose each other, and put in the time and effort a relationship requires, things like distance or hardship don’t matter.
