as time’s nearing, the more nervous i am becomin about my signicicant other. i cant abide the thought of me being apart from my boyfriend for 7 months. my what-if list is gettin’ pretty long, for instance, what if he forgets abt me? what if this n that. arghies can someone who experienced this tell me it will be okay? like my mom said, the hiking will be only 7 months not forever 
nullie
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. To an extent.
If he can visit you some along the trail, the visits should be great----absence does make the heart grow fonder and the meeting and renewing great and wonderful.
Feel the time apart will be good for both you and him. It will help both of you grow up more.
If what you have is good and meant to be, it will certainly survive six months of being apart. On the other hand, if it isn’t, it makes no difference wheather you go or stay—it will not survive.
Be your own person and go hike. Or remain and be his slave and put his shackels on yourself willingly. It is your choice.
If he forgets about you, it is his loss-----or so it seems to me.
Life will go on. It will be okay.
I am probably three times your age, have been absent many many times for many many months from my significant other. And we have survived together one heck of a lot of things.
So as I said before, if it is good and meant to be, then it will last. If not, then nothing will be able to hold it together.
So go hike. See you out there on the trail.:cheers
Maintain
7 months is a long time to hike 2174.1 miles. Hike faster, rest less, and you’ll get home faster, (i.e. less time to be forgotten.) We are all motivated by something, use your b/f as reason to haul the mail.
and more importantly what does boyfriend think about the hike? Send some emails to the womenfolk here, they have much more practical insight on the matter.
Officer Taco
“Send some emails to the womenfolk here”
What is this, Little House On The Prarie?
Capital UGH.
Nomad
“what if he forgets abt me?”
Then you return from your trip and start from there. Don’t think about that future crap while you’re hiking, it’ll ruin your trip.
“what if…”
Sorry, can’t tell you. Get over knowing the future. No one here can tell you. While on your thru hike he may change and you will definately change. So you are left with uncertainty all around. I know, not the answer you wanted to hear, but that’s the truth of the matter.
Take Yogi’s advice: go hike. Life is simple like that.
Dharma
nullie -
Everyone’s advice is right on. I am in a similar situation. I will be leaving my wife for my duration but we have several meetings scheduled with friends along the trail. When we first decided upon this adventure we discussed this topic aat length and both agreed that it would be difficult but it was a dream she refused to let me put aside. If your relationship is strong, than you will be fine. Being apaprt for long periods of time is tough, but can help more than you know. I spent months and months apart from loved ones in the military and it can make for some lonely nights, but in the end the experience is worth it. Keep your chin up and remember the AT will be there, so if you don’t finish this time, you can go back and maybe hike a part of it together.
Big Slick
Do everything you can to involve your g.f. in your hike; is she your resupply person? Does she have an investment in following your progress? Call & write when you can, telling her what you saw; & MOST importantly, ask about HER day, her life, her decisions while you are gone. You’re the one out having a ball; she’s stuck @ home, doing the routine things we all do @ home. Her world is the usual thing; yours will be filled with new folks, new lingo etc, that she’s not a part of. SOMEhow, someway, MAKE a way for her to visit you; often as can be arranged; every 6 wks if possible. Even if it costs money (gasp!) or interrupts your hike. If this is a newer (1-to almost 3yr) relationship (somehow it sounds like it might be; tho I could be wrong, it won’t bode well to be gone that long without seeing each other; MORE than once during the usual thru hike time! Older committed relationships seem
to weather separation a bit better. I do agree w/ what was said above, tho…you can’t control the future, & will have to live w/ a bit of uncertainty. You are choosing to do this; & nothing can be absolutely predicted or controlled for. You can do whatever you can to help out in the process tho. Others may have other ideas of how to stay connected while you are apart; mine is basically that both of you need to be invested in the other’s life.
good luck!
Anonymous Therapist
Whoops…reverse the gender of the note…tho boyfriend/girlfriend: it doesn’t matter; the thots are the same! Good luck!
Anon. Therapist
Separation is an issue to be discussed and thought through beforehand. No matter what you plan, unwanted reality may intrude. I tend to put things into best case, worst case, most likely case scenarios. You have a show stopper only if the worst case is totally unacceptable.
And folks, let’s put this into perspective. Thousands - maybe hundreds of thousands - of folks in the military have to face the separation issue every year. Somehow life goes on.
booger