My girlfriend thinks the relationship has changed both of us. Is it over?
Right, where do I start. I have been with my 18 yr old girlfriend for nearly 8 months now (I am 19), and am in love with her. She says she loves me too. It's a long distance relationship, I am at uni about 5 hours away. I met her last summer then decided to start dating her after I arrived at uni! I make regular trips down to see her every couple of weeks and we are pretty much in constant contact. I call her every day and text her throughout the day. I spent the last 2 weeks at home and saw her regularly till she went on holiday with her friends to ibiza for 5 days. I then saw her before I came back to uni to do my exams, which I am in the middle of now.
The trouble is this morning she said that she isn't sure about things and needs space. She gave me a few reasons. Firstly she thinks I am too clingy. She's never mentioned this before but I can see where she's coming from, my phone bill is proof enough. I had a great first term at uni and I was enjoying going out and generally meeting new people and keeping myself busy. I also acted fairly uninterested in her and would take sometimes hours to return her text messages. I did think about breaking up with her as I wanted to enjoy the lifestyle uni had to offer, mainly easy access to meeting lots of new girls. However I stuck with her through the xmas holidays as she made me feel guilty about dumping her before the first xmas without her nan who died that year. It was then, after spending more time with her, that I fell in love with her. After that I feel like she's had me whipped ever since. I have also realised that my clinginess probably results from me having lots of free time on my hands. I didn't join any clubs at the start of the year and find myself sitting round bored half the time. This is when I pick up my phone and start texting her.
She also says that she feels like she's missing out on things like going clubbing and that sort of thing. I think that going to ibiza made her realise this. She also says she doesn't want to hold me back from these things too. She says that she feels she isn't making the most of being 18 and feels that she's changed from the girl she used to be before she met me. She was really social, going out with friends all the time. I know that she has calmed down since she has been with me but I figured that's what she wanted. She does say that she doesn't miss getting with other guys, but just the lifestyle she had.
I have to admit I have also changed since I've been with her. I think leaving home for university probably had a lot to do with it, but I have given up doing stuff when I'm home to spend time with her. Basically we both feel that we have lost who we are, or were as a result of this relationship. It has been intense recently and I think this is probably the cause of her bringing it up.
I really don't want to lose this girl, I know we're both young with our lives ahead of us, but I really love her. And I think she feels the same. I am going home after my exams this weekend for summer and I'm going round to chat to her on Monday. I am going to try to convince her that we don't need to end things. But that some time apart may be necessary to find ourselves again. Then hopefully we can get back together. I believe that if I keep myself busy (as I plan to over the summer) then I will be able to think about her less and as a result will be less clingy. But for the next few days I think she wants space. After reading a few threads I think I've made a grave error as I sent her a letter telling her how I feel, and how I'm going to do things differently in order to make us both happier but still together.
Sorry that this is such a long question but I really need to revise for my exams right now so would appreciate any words of advice. Do you think that time apart will help us to become happier in ourselves, and would this help our relationship?
Thanks x