Road Trippin' It

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Colorado. This was probably one of the best trips I have ever had for multiple reasons. Of course, being with Dillon is always wonderful. We didn't do too much but we had a lot of time together which was great. But what made this trip better than the others is that I got to go on a road trip with three other girls. Some (most) might think I'm crazy for enjoying driving that much - it is a 13 hour drive from Tucson to Colorado Springs, so twenty. six. long. hours. total of driving in a car. How crazy is that?? Us USAFA girlfriends are known to be pretty crazy, though. ;)

I had a whole huge paragraph mapping out every detail of our trip, but that bored me, even. Haha. So let me just say we broke up the trip into manageable driving times and I have never had such a blast being stuck in a small car with three other people. We talked about everything, you never would have guessed some of us had just met for the first time. As hard as it was for me to be supportive of Dillon going to the academy, I have to say I am so incredibly thankful that it has brought me to so many amazing friendships with even more amazing girls.

And then we finally made it to the Academy!! Dillon and I went and bought some wine and a movie and stayed in at the hotel for the night, which was perfect. We watched Gravity, and after splitting a whole glass of wine, that movie got to me. Spoilers if you haven't seen it. But when George Clooney let go of Sandra Bullock so she could live I legitimately started bawling. Like huge sobs. I think it's also because Dillon fell asleep on me, but whatevs. Don't mix that movie and wine people, you will get irrationally emotional.

Saturday we went to lunch and then we caught the last few innings of the USAFA baseball game. It's strange now that Dillon isn't on the team, but his roommate's girlfriend was also in town and we have been talking for a few months so we were excited to finally meet! Also, the Falcon's swept the number 20 team in the nation and are now on their longest winning streak in the program's history. So that's pretty sweet! That night we met up with Lily and her boyfriend Taylor (Dillon and Taylor went to Germany together last summer so know each other) at Edelweiss, which is a German restaurant in the Springs. We got some beer which was really good and then went and saw Oculus together. The only way I can watch scary movies anymore is if I am slightly tipsy...so we spiked our Icee's and enjoyed the movie. ;)

Sunday was really nice because instead of waking up and only having a few hours before I had to be at the airport, I had all day since we weren't starting our drive back until 7pm. So we went and ate breakfast, saw Captain America, and then went to my cousin's house for Easter dinner. And oh my goodness, their dog just had puppies and they were the cutest. things. ever. And they made Dillon happier than I have ever seen him. Just look at this:

This is Dillon while waiting for Easter breakfast.

And this is Dillon holding a puppy. He was seriously in love. We had been talking recently about getting a puppy after we got married and Dillon's dream is to get a lab. And then here they were. These adorable lab puppies just begging us to take one. We seriously considered it for a while, but then decided against it because having a puppy is ruff. Lol I'm funny. But my goodness it was great to hold those adorable pups.

It was so hard to leave without one of those adorable puppies, but alas, we did. We had a little extra time before we were meeting with the other girls, so Dillon and I played a quick game of bowling. And let me tell ya, I like playing against 10 and 6 year olds much better than Dillon. I at least broke 100 so whatevs. Then we went back to the academy and took the mandatory couple pictures in front of the chapel. I had actually never been so close to the chapel before, even though it's gorgeous and like the highlight of the USAFA campus.

Muh love. <3

And then it was back in the car for another 13 hour drive! I have to say though, it was one of the easiest goodbye's we've had. Of course it always sucks to leave him, but the fact that I was getting back in the car to spend more time with three amazing girls made it so much better. We are definitely hoping to do it again next year! And now it's only 27 days until I'm back in Colorado for RING DANCE! 

Four Years - and Fifty Months

Four years. That is how long I have been the happiest I have ever been. Four years since I started the hardest but most rewarding chapter of my life. Four years of laughter, tears, and love.

On January 10th, Dillon and I celebrated our four year anniversary (but I'm guessing you already figured that out). Unfortunately, it was another anniversary spent apart. We decided not to get anything for each other since his birthday, Christmas, the wedding, etc. had just happened. But of course, he completely surprised me and sent me a small gift basket that included a balloon, chocolates, and the most adorable bird figurine. It was small but it meant so much to me. Actually, when I saw it, I burst into tears. Like full on sobbing. It was just so sweet that he thought to send me something after we told each other we wouldn't be buying gifts this year. That, and it broke my heart that we were apart yet again for another big event in our lives. But oh well. That night we Skyped and ate, drank, and watched TV together. A couple of his friends came in and serenaded me by playing the guitar and singing Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker. I had a stupid smile on my face the entire time, it was actually super sweet.

I love you Dillon. Here is to the fifth chapter of our lives together; let it be filled with more love and more happiness than ever.

Also, a couple days ago was our 50th monthaversary. I know that seems like a silly thing to be happy about seeing as how we just celebrated our four year. But after reading this post I don't have any shame in it. Fifty months is a long ass time!! I don't think monthaversaries should be celebrated to the same extent as anniversaries, but I love that we exchange little "happy monthaversary, I love you!" texts. We should celebrate the small things in life. And especially with a long distance relationship, I think we should celebrate every. single. day. I'm not saying that we struggle to stay together every day, but oh my gosh, long distance relationships are the epitome of hopping on the struggle bus. Not trying to get pity or anything, but it's hard being apart from the one you love more than anything in the world. I know that there are some good things about being in a long distance relationship, but I would trade those any day to finally be with Dillon permanently. So here is to celebrating the small things - the years, the months, and the days!

Ten Favorite Things - That Special Someone

I am so excited to finally be linking up with Brianna over at Endlessly Beloved! 

To be honest, when I first heard of this link up, I didn't know if I could do it. D and I are having a really rough time right now. We have so much going on in our lives and not enough time together to figure everything out. But now I see that that is precisely the reason why I need to do this link up. Despite all our hard times, I love that man, and it's always good to reflect on why. So here are my 10 favorite things about him:

1. He loves me - I know that's cheesy, but it's an amazing feeling to be so loved by another person. To know that no matter what trials we are going through, he loves me.

2. His humor - He can always make me laugh, even if he's not meaning to. He has a very sarcastic sense of humor, but I love it. I also love that he gets my sense of humor...or not. I'm pretty sure they are just pity laughs, but that makes me love him even more.

3. He's supportive - I have been feeling incredibly insecure about my new full-time job. But he has been so incredibly supportive of me and what I am doing, and I honestly don't think I could do it without him.

4. His determination - He is determined to do well in everything he does and to be a better person. He fails sometimes, just like everyone else, but he has enough determination to see where he went wrong and try again. 

5. He's outgoing - When we first started dating, I would have been perfectly fine with staying inside all day and lounging around. He always wanted to get up and out and do something. And I love him for that, because he has made me a more outgoing person.

6. His smile - I don't know what it is, but that man's smile just makes my heart happy. It's so charming, and my favorite time to see him smile is when we see each other for the first time after being apart. I just melt into his arms.

7. He cares - I am a girl. I get emotional. If I had it my way, I would be told every second of every day how amazing I am (because I am, duh). But that's not always how relationships work - we're busy, tired, we argue, etc. But every time I question things, he turns around and tells me/shows me just how much he truly cares about me.

8. We can joke around - I love that we can joke around with each other and still know that we love each other. I like to make fun of him because he's scared of anything he can't control (roller coasters, sky diving, etc). He likes to make fun of me for not always understanding jokes (he's constantly saying "you don't get it baby")

9. His arms - Our relationship is in no way all about the physical stuff, but there is nothing better than being wrapped in a big hug from him. Along with his smile, it's the best thing ever to get that first hug after months apart. There is something so safe and comforting about being in his arms.

10. We just...work - I don't think there is any one thing I can say makes us so good together. We are different in so many ways, including what we each consider being "adventurous" and "daring". But we are also so alike, including that we would both love to travel the world.

I could think of more, of course, but this is called TEN favorite things. Thank you for letting me be cheesy and talk all about my love!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was honestly one of the best weekends I have had in a long time. Not only was it a three-day weekend in which I didn't have to do any homework, but my amazing boyfriend flew into Tucson and we got to spend it all together!!

Friday. I still had to work on Friday which was kind of a bummer. Dillon's flight landed around 5:30 but I was working until 8:30. I kept telling myself it was good because his friend Ian was picking him up, and it would be good for them to have some time together because they haven't seen each other in so long. But it was still hard knowing he was so close, yet I still couldn't see him. I was talking to the mom I work for about how he was here for the weekend though and she was like wait, he's here now? Well you can go! I was really surprised! I had made my peace with having to wait until later to see him, but here she was telling me TWO HOURS before I thought I could leave that she totally understood and not to worry about it. So I rushed over to his friend's house and finally got to see my man after over two months apart.

Dillon bought us three tickets to the UA homecoming basketball game! I hadn't been to one in quite a while and I forgot just how much I love my school. We, of course, won! It was a blast to really get into the game. And that sweatshirt is pretty awesome, huh? I gave it to Dillon as an early birthday present. I didn't want to, but he kept saying "I think I'm going to go buy a UA sweatshirt before the game," so I had to spill the beans, haha.

Saturday. We spent the majority of the day running around town doing a bunch of different things. We went to brunch at IHOP which is kind of a tradition with us. When he was here for spring break a couple years ago I'm pretty sure we went there every single day. Although...they got rid of the Nutella crepes, which is honestly just so sad. Anyone else think those were absolutely amazing?!? Afterwards we went to PetSmart and got a bunch of new stuff for Tuck! He was in desperate need of a new filter and pretty much new everything. We went a little crazy and spent over $100 on him. We are crazy turtle people, I guess!

After going back and cleaning his tank and setting it all up we went and got myself the new iPhone 5s! Dillon had gotten his new 5s when he created our plan together (that's right...we took the next step in our relationship and created a cell phone plan together!) and even though I didn't have the update, I was in desperate need of a new phone. Boyfriend helped pay for it, and I'm calling it an early Christmas/Graduation/Anniversary gift. ;) Afterwards we got Chick fil' A (YUM), Starbucks, and then went to Ian's house to hang out there the rest of the night.

Sunday. I convinced Dillon that we needed to go on a nice date at some point this weekend. We decided that we would have a day date! We went to Claim Jumper and it was seriously delicious. I don't know what else to say about it other than I would love to go back sometime! Then we went and saw the new Thor movie which was really good!

I bought this dress at the end of August and finally had an occasion to wear it!! I'm slightly obsessed with how pretty it is.

 *awh*

That night we went over to Ian's again for another night of hanging out and drinking. We ended up buying the documentary Bronies...if you don't know what that is look it up. To say we had a night full of laughter is an understatement.

Monday. The dreaded "you leave today" day. We slept in and then went to breakfast at Bobo's with Ian and Jobin. It's a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Tucson, and although it looks pretty worn-down the food look absolutely delicious. I say looked because I was slightly hungover and only had a couple bites of the massive pancake Dillon and I got. I'll definitely have to head back there so I can actually say it tasted really good! Haha. Then we headed back to my house, he packed while I laid on the bed pouting, and then I drove him to the airport. I thought it would be a fairly easy goodbye since he's coming back for Thanksgiving in just nine days, but I definitely still cried. On the way to the airport I had tears in my eyes because Dillon was playing music and singing loudly to me, and it just made me so happy. It's the small things like that that so many couples take for granted, but I would give anything to be able to do every day. 

Overall...best. weekend. ever. I love that boyfriend of mine so much and every day we spend together is amazing. I cannot wait until that is our every day.

I hope you had a great three-day weekend!! Did you do anything exciting?

Trust vs. Respect

This topic has been on my mind for quite a while now, but has recently really gotten to me since Halloween was last weekend. There is a difference between trust and respect, and I believe that both are important to have in a relationship.

I have been in a long distance relationship for about three and a half years now, and the one thing I always hear from other couples in long distance relationships is that trust is the most important factor. And I do agree with that. Both my boyfriend and I have had huge trust issues. We were only 17 when we started dating and we were thrust into a long distance relationship only seven months into dating. We were young and naive and downright stupid at times. But our relationship has always been strongest when we learned to trust each other. We both still worry and jealousy creeps in, but we trust that we love each other and would never intentionally hurt one another.

Past trust, though, is respect. And I honestly think that there is too little respect going around in the relationships I see. This may be none of my business, but when pictures are shared for all to see on social media such as facebook, twitter, and instagram, I can't help but notice. I love a good party as much as the next person, but when you are in a relationship, close or long distance, there are certain ways you should present yourself. With Halloween, the trend is for girls to wear as little as possible and call it a costume. I do not necessarily look down on this - I get it, you want to look and feel sexy if only for one night. And chances are, as "slutty" as you look, there will always be a girl with less clothes on (cue fully naked ASU student). With that being said, it is disrespectful to do so and then take a ton of pictures with other guys.

Now before you think I'm a total hypocrite, I want you to know that I don't think all pictures with other guys are terrible. This is a picture I took on Saturday night. Even without knowing any details, I would like to think that if my boyfriend saw this he would not be in the slightest upset, and I did in fact send this to him. First, it's his best friend, but also I feel I am not so close to him in the photo that anyone would think that this was my "new boyfriend."

When you take a picture with your arms completely around another guy (that isn't your boyfriend or a relative), it is disrespectful to your relationship. When you take a picture that involves kissing any part of the body, it is disrespectful to your relationship. If I can't distinguish between your body and his body because you are that close, it is disrespectful to your relationship. If I, or anyone else, has to check your relationship status to make sure you're still with so-and-so, because your picture shows a different story, you are being disrespectful to your relationship. This is not about trust - you can trust your significant other and they can trust you 100%, but if you are not respectful of your boyfriend/girlfriend and the relationship you have, then that is not any better. Think twice before you get so close to another guy that it would look like you're dating, and most of all, think twice before you post said pictures on social media. Personally, I don't think you look cute, and I'm not jealous of all the fun you want to let everyone know you're having. I see someone who is trying to have a good time, but is not remembering to respect the committed relationship they are in.

That Time I (Spent the Weekend in Denver)

I now interrupt the That Time I: Cruise Edition for a weekend update!

I know, I know. I already did this to you once before and you hated me for it, but this is the first time I've had the chance to sit down and write about my weekend, and I'm way too excited to share!

This past weekend I was able to fly up to Colorado to spend the weekend with Dillon! I can't even start to explain how happy I am that we finally had a weekend to ourselves. The last time we saw each other was around the end of May but we really haven't gotten any quality alone time together in a few months. Since we last saw each other I started my summer job, turned 21, and Dillon spent three weeks in Germany; a lot has happened so this weekend was much needed!

I flew into Denver late Saturday morning, which was really nice because we pretty much still had the whole day together. Since my cousins were camping this weekend we ended up just getting a hotel in Denver since that's where I was flying in and out of. Plus we hadn't spent too much time in Denver (which is about an hour from Colorado Springs) so we thought it would be fun to explore! We were pretty lazy to begin with, just hanging out at the hotel and enjoying finally being together! That evening we went to California Pizza Kitchen and had a double date! Dillon went to Germany with a guy named Taylor and me and his girlfriend Lily had met when I drove through Albuquerque on my way to bring Dillon his truck. We really hit it off, and texted pretty much every day when they were in Germany, mainly just complaining that we missed our boyfriends, haha.

Me and Lily! We went out for FroYo in Albuquerque together! And you gotta love the awesome photobomb. :)

Dinner was great! Dillon was a little hesitant at first, he hates small talk, but I told him it would be fun, and it really was! After dinner we went to the theater and saw This Is The End. Yes, I had already seen it before, and yes I think it's good enough to see twice! D hadn't seen it before and he loved it!

On Sunday we went to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival! You can check them out here. They have an amazing non-profit mission in which they aim to "provide access to art experiences and support art education." Artists from all over the country came for the weekend to show off their artwork, there was even a guy from Tucson!

Okay this guy...amazing! We happened to stumble across his show right as his last one was starting. He is a performance speed painter who paints portraits of celebrity faces in a matter of 4-7 minutes. His first painting, on the right, was of Frank Sinatra and it blew my mind. He started painting and I was like, okay yeah that can be the top of his head/ear...then all the sudden it was the eyes/nose! You should definitely watch this video so you can see what I mean! And neither Dillon or I could figure out the left was Einstein until he drew the hair/mustache!

We walked through the booths for a good hour or so and we would point out pieces of art we would like to have in our future home together. Awh. ;) <3

Monday was a great day! Even though it was the day I was leaving, my flight didn't leave until 9pm, so it was really nice that we still had the entire day to hang out! There was an IKEA only a few miles down the road from our hotel, and call me crazy but I was begging D to take me there since the first day! I had never been in an IKEA and it just always seemed like so much fun. I actually had a a really good time, walking through the show floor, and again imagining the furniture we would have in our future home. It sounds super cheesy, but it's a really nice thing to talk about with this crazy long distance we have had to go through for the past three years, and the next two ahead of us.

After IKEA we ate lunch, stopped by GNC, and then went to the theater to see another movie! This time we saw Monsters University! I know a lot of people don't want to see it/don't like it because it doesn't have Boo in it, but I thought it was a super adorable and funny movie!

We still had a few hours to kill before I had to go to the airport, so we ended up going to the Denver Downtown Aquarium!

  Can you tell I like turtles?? That's pretty much the only thing I took pictures of...

 Even this picture...it's my "Let's take a picture with the turtles behind us!" picture. Can't see the turtles? Me either. But you know, we're cute too, even with the weird shadows across our faces.

What?!? You mean to tell me tigers don't belong in an aquarium?

I thought it was weird, too. But the Denver Aquarium doesn't give a f what we think! They had tigers and snakes and parrots and other weird non-aquarium things.

Squishies!

 This is the last picture we took "together." I thought it was rather cute because we were sitting at the aiport after finishing dinner, right before I had to head to the security line, and he says "Wait, take a picture of our bracelets for your blog!" Such a cutie pie. ;)

I won't lie, there were quite a few tears during our goodbye. We have 52 days to go until we see each other again for USAFA's Parent's weekend. And although we had to say goodbye yet again, I am so happy we had this weekend together. I can't say enough how much we needed it as a couple. It was a much needed refresher for our relationship, and I really do feel so much better now that the weekend has past, even if we are apart. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing best friend and boyfriend. <3

Rhonna Designs

As always, don't forget to check out Alex's That Time I post over at Let Life Be Like Music!

Linking Up: Random Wednesday, Weekly Wednesday

Missionary Love.

OKAY. I am so beyond excited to be writing this post. It has been one I have wanted to make for a while now, but I had to wait due to reasons that will be explained. First off, no, I am not Mormon, and neither do I have a Missionary that I love. (All my love is reserved for my Airman!) However, my best friend Becca is Mormon and is currently dating Lance, her handsome Missionary who has been gone for over a year now.

A little back story: Becca and I met our freshman year at the University of Arizona. We lived in the same dorm and both had boyfriends back home, so we instantly clicked. We have now been best friends for over two years and I am so lucky to have her in my life. She understands the struggles of being in a long distance relationship, is always there when I need to talk, and we just have so much fun together!

When she asked me to help her make a video to send to her boyfriend for Valentine's Day, I was completely gung ho! She made a huge sign that on one side says "I love you Lance," and the other says "My heart is in Montana." (He is currently serving his mission in Montana.) We drove all across Tucson taking pictures and videos of her holding up the sign, dancing with it, and running around. Honestly, it was probably one of the best days I have had in a long time! 

This picture is especially adorable because 1: It's on a baseball field and he played baseball in high school, 2. She is on home plate, showing that she CANNOT wait until he comes home, and 3. She is making a heart with her feet and the base.

Please watch the whole video HERE! This is a link to her Tumblr, feel free to follow her! It is honestly the cutest video ever and I am so happy I was able to help her make it. Even though she sent it a week before Valentine's Day, he just got it yesterday because he transferred to a different city (hence me posting about this so late). But he absolutely loves it! Even though I told Dillon all about it already, I'm pretty sure she's going to help me make one for him! 

Ladies, if you are in a long distance (or "regular") relationship, I would highly recommend doing something like this! For Becca, this was all about showing Lance that she loved him and how she wanted to show it to the world. If you want to do something like this, add a little creativity to it! We went all over Tucson to places that they had been together or that just reminded her of him (DQ, Cafe Rio is a Cafe that Lance goes to a lot in Montana, baseball field, LDS Church) and some, like the ones on campus and on top of the mountain, were places she goes often or just wanted him to feel a part of. You can be totally creative with this, and it's a great way to show your love, and it's basically free!!

Leave a comment and tell me what you think, and let me know if you have done anything unique like this for your s/o!

Valentine's Day

This was Dillon and my fourth Valentine's Day together. We have never done something too incredibly special in the past that I can recall, which has always been okay because our anniversary is just a month before. However, this Valentine's Day I wanted to do something a little bit more special. First, I got him a gift that I am SO excited for him to get (although I'm totally failing since I haven't even sent it yet...oops!) I'll post about it after he finally gets it.

But onto the more exciting story. After getting the idea from a few other USAFA girlfriends, I decided I wanted to have a date night with Dillon. And yes...we were able to accomplish this while still being 800+ miles away from each other. Since he would be traveling to Texas for baseball on the 14th, we decided to do this the night of the 13th. We both ordered Chinese food and decided we would Oovoo while eating and watching a movie (Thor!) together. 

Some may say I went a little overboard in that I got COMPLETELY dressed up. I wore a dress, did my makeup, and curled my hair (all of which I hardly ever do). 

I told Dillon I was "getting pretty" but I didn't tell him exactly what I was doing. I really just wanted to wear the pearl earrings he had given me for our three year anniversary! I was a little embarrassed that I went all-out, but he ended up wearing a collared shirt and told me repeatedly how beautiful I was. *Awh* 

It was one of the nicest things we have done together while apart. We have Oovoo'd and watched TV together plenty of times, but this was completely different and absolutely amazing. I was afraid he would think it was extremely cheesy (which it really was) but he liked it so much he suggested we try to do something like it once a month. Such a sweetheart! 

The next day was Valentine's Day and because of the night before, I didn't find myself becoming sad over all the couples on campus. My best friend, Becca made me a shirt to wear on Valentine's Day, and I absolutely love it!! Her man is on his mission right now, and so the shirts were perfect for us. The back has their last name's (and our *hopefully* future last names)! 

Then Dillon, being the thoughtful man he is, surprised me by booking me a massage! It was incredibly sweet of him, and honestly much needed because I have been so stressed out lately. Overall, it was the perfect Valentine's Date/Day. I feel so incredibly blessed to be in love with such an amazing man, and then to have an amazing best friend who understands the hardships of distance, but the wonderfulness of being in love.

Visit to Colorado Springs

My first trip to Colorado Springs of 2013 was a success! There was only two weeks in between this visit and when he left after Christmas break, but because of the crazy semester and summer we will have, we figured it was definitely worth it. My flight wasn't until Saturday morning, so I was able to spend Friday evening with my family. My parents and I went to my brother Jonathan's varsity soccer game, which was AWESOME! He scored a goal, which was his first on the varsity team (he's only a sophomore in high school).

Number 63 being a badass.

Then we ordered Chinese and had a nice relaxing night together, which of course included the famous fire night. (Which is really only famous with our family but that counts!)

So onto the trip to Colorado. My flight was at 7:30 out of the Phoenix-Mesa airport, which meant I had to be up at 5am! I am definitely not a fan of waking up that early, but I am a fan of seeing Dillon, so I won't complain too much. My flight was unfortunately delayed an hour which caused me to have to rush to my connecting flight (which I THANKFULLY made). The lady sitting next to me had the most adorable puppy with her, so I didn't mind that too much. :)

Dillon was able to pick me up from the airport, and the first hug and kiss was perfect (even though I was extremely tired). The first hug/kiss after being away, no matter how long, is always the sweetest. We then drove to my cousin's house and watched the UA vs. ASU game (GO WILDCATS!). Most of our time was just spent lounging around watching Community together. We usually watch Community together while Skyping, so it is always really nice to be able to watch it while actually physically together. We also went and saw the movie Mama. When we first started dating, watching scary movies was kind of "our thing." Since then I have become an extreme baby, but it was actually nice to watch a scary movie with him. On Sunday we randomly decided to go to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which was so much fun! We took my three young cousins, and we all had a blast.

Uh...YES! That is a baby giraffe being born! Check out the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo website for ADORABLE pictures of this giraffe. :D 

And the most adorable baby gorilla. Dillon says I should work at the zoo while I'm up in Colorado after I graduate. Working with all the baby animals?? YES PLEASE!

My flight didn't leave out of Colorado Springs until 5pm on Monday, so we got to have a nice lunch together before I left. We just went to Chick fil A (because I had a gift card I could use) but it was really nice to sit down and eat together and talk. Right after he was done eating, he wanted to get up and leave, but I made him sit down and just talk with me for a while. He seemed confused (he doesn't understand how I can go somewhere with my friends and end up staying there for hours just talking), but it ended up being really nice. 

Saying goodbye at the airport was awful (as it always is), especially because we are not sure when we will see each other next. There were tears, and Dillon leaving and coming back like three times, but I made it through security. I briefly met another USAFA girlfriend, whose boyfriend is also on the baseball team, which was nice. This time, instead of being worried of missing my connecting flight, I had a THREE HOUR layover in the Denver airport. I was definitely not a fan of this, especially because it was three more hours I was in Colorado but not able to see Dillon.

The goodbyes are always hard, but I am always sweetly told by my dad that it just means I'm one day closer to seeing him again. I am so excited to be in Colorado a year from now, and for our goodbyes to only be for a few days at a time. Until then, I am trying to fully appreciate and love even these short visits.