Personal Post| Ten Things I’ve Learned in Our Ten Year Relationship

It fills me with pride to share with everyone that my beloved boyfriend Jordan and I have been in a relationship for ten whole years!

I thought it would be a great opportunity to give my blog a little insight into those ten years without being too open. So, instead of divulging our pretty boring story of how we got together, I thought it would be more fun to lay out ten things that I’ve learned in the ten years we’ve been together!

1. Growing Older Doesn’t Mean Growing Apart

I don’t think anyone gets into a relationship thinking it’s going to last a very long time; after all, you’ve only just met each other and as you grow your lives may change and make it difficult to stay on the same path together.

We were just turned 16 when we got together, and we never really thought it would be serious; we were fresh out of school and it was exciting. However, as we’ve grown up together, it seems like we’re more in sync than we initially thought we would be – and I’d say that we’re much, much closer than we were 8/9/10 years ago!

2. Being Apart Isn’t a Bad Thing

I’ll admit that my anxiety doesn’t do me any favours when we have to spend time apart; not because I don’t trust Jordan, but my mind goes on overdrive with “what if’s”.

However, I spent my last year at uni on my own while he came back home to get a job after graduating, and while it was difficult at first, it wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. We even spend days apart now – Jordan often goes to music gigs and sometimes we just want to have a day to ourselves.

Being apart has actually been a great help for us – especially as I usually go to his house after work, which I know can be overbearing sometimes (sorry, Jordan!)

3. It’s Okay to Like Different Things

If you looked at our interests laid out in lists on a table, you’d probably wonder how we made it to ten years as there’s not a huge amount of crossover. I like more happy, pop-rock kind of music, he likes pretty much everything other than pop; he likes Marmite while I only like it on cheese on toast; I’m a huge advocate for animal rights activism, while he’s more of a relaxed lover of animals.

However, I think it’s great that we’re not into all the same things. It allows us to educate each other on things that the other might not know a thing about, and it makes for great conversation! In fact, Jordan is helping me with a more personal activism blog that I have planned – and it has some of his input in it, too!

4. Being an Adult Sucks

As we got together at such a young age, I think we got spoiled a bit by having so many years where we could see each other for the majority of the day, every day. At university, we lived together in the same flat for two years (albeit separate bedrooms), so when we came back home to start our lives as working people, it was a bit strange not being able to see each other a lot.

Although we’re still in that situation – and Jordan being in a job which often requires him to work til 8pm or even later sometimes – it’s become a norm again. We are looking to try and move out together into our own place, and I’m not going to lie – I am so excited!

5. Doing Nothing At All Isn’t Boring

One question I’ve been asked quite a lot when I reveal that we’ve been in a relationship for so long is “how do you still have things to talk about?”.

The fact is, there’s plenty of times that I’ll be round at Jordan’s house and we wont talk for up to an hour or so at points. I enjoy watching him play through games, and just seeing him enjoy himself is good enough for me, which doesn’t require a full blown conversation.

Of course, we do talk – that would just be weird if we didn’t – but the fact remains that we can spend time together with only each other’s company and we’re still doing great!

6. Don’t Always Listen to Other People

Not everyone is going to like the fact that we’ve been dating for so long, and on our relationship’s journey, there have been moments where people have tried to rock the boat, as they say.

Yes, it has caused arguments; yes, people have been told in no uncertain terms to keep their beaks out of our business, but I think we’ve learned not to solely listen to what other people say. It’s like Chinese whispers out there and the only person I should listen to when it involves our relationship is the person I’ve trusted for 10 years.

7. You’ll Need Each Other More Than You Think

I’ve already made it clear that I’m not the best person when it comes to being confident, and my anxiety is a huge hurdle that I brought to the table very early on into the relationship, as I knew it would rear its ugly head at some point.

What I didn’t realise – and I’m pretty sure Jordan would agree with me – is that we rely on each other a lot more than we thought we would. I rely on Jordan a lot for reassurance and confidence, and I think he relies on me for buying him Kinder Buenos advice when it comes to work. It doesn’t matter why we rely on each other – it’s just important that we know that someone else requires our help every so often and that they’re there for us!

8. Your Dad and Your Boyfriend Can Get On

It’s one of those myths that is supposed to send a shiver down the spine of every girl who brings a boy to their home; their dad is supposed to hate their boyfriend with a passion and ban him from seeing his daughter ever again.

Luckily because Jordan is so charming (and my dad is actually pretty cool), the two get on brilliantly. For the past two Christmases, Jordan’s been with us at my house which has given him the opportunity to get to know my dad a little better. I love it because they can both let their hair down and it’s nice to see them enjoying each other’s company!

9. He Makes a Mean Sandwich

This is a silly one – but seriously, Jordan makes the best sandwiches in the world. It doesn’t matter what ingredients he has to hand – Subway, eat your heart out!

10. It Is Possible To Love Someone With All Your Heart

I’m being super soppy here, but I feel like I should end this list with one. We’re not a cutesy couple, and if you see us in the street, we’d forgive you for thinking we’re just friends.

However, Jordan really is the bestest friend that I have in the whole world, and there’s nothing on this earth that I would keep from him – and I know he’s just as open with me. We’ve had a few rocky patches, but nothing that our love couldn’t overcome, and I’m looking forward to see how our relationship evolves from here on out – hopefully resulting in out own house with our own puppy!

It really doesn’t seem five minutes since the fateful day we went to a kids park in the pouring rain because we were 16 and silly. I’m taking that as a good thing, because time flies when you’re having fun, right?

Have you been in a long-term relationship? What has it taught you?