In the early months of 2016 my relationship ended, and I began talking to a friend of mine whom I'd known since I was 14, although we had never met. I am from Sydney, Australia, and he is from Manchester, England.
It was in the middle of August 2016 that we finally met in person, and we realised that there was more to us than just a friendship. It was rapidly growing into a long distance love that neither of us was prepared for. In September I flew back home, and prepared for the three and a half month wait for him to come and visit me in Australia. This ran short; within a month I found myself on another flight to Manchester, that he booked to spend my 25th birthday together.
I soon realised that after he visited in December there would be an empty void of nothing, the point where we didn't know when we'd be together again, and that realisation nearly killed me.
Upon returning home to Sydney, and prior to his arrival, a shock to the system happened. I'd been offered a job as a nanny for a family in Manchester, which would see us back together for the forseeable future, in the same timezone, same town, and same house from the end of January 2017.
It was then that he presented me with a Giving Key engraved with Strength - to signify everything we've been through together to get to this point, as well as my initial move, leaving my family and moving to the other side of the world. And although it has been hard, we've managed to stay strong and never doubt each other.
I guess sometimes it goes to show that the best thing that has ever happened to you isn't always right in front of you. For me it was 10,500 miles on the other side of the world; and all it takes is a leap of faith to get you there.
-Lauren
