I was in a similar situation during college and it’s definitely not easy! Do you have any friends in town? Hanging out with friends is one of the best ways to get your mind off of it.

For hobbies, do you like reading? Do you like crafty things? A lot of my friends are really into knitting lately. My hobby is slowly becoming gardening.

You could also volunteer for an animal rescue.

I can absolutely relate to how you’re feeling. I’ve been in a long distance relationship for almost a year, my bf moved halfway across the country to take a job. I definitely suggest hanging out with friends or going out to meet new people. Meetup.com is a great resource for finding people with similar interests as you. I’ve hung out with quite a few “Girls Night Out” groups from there and it’s a great way to get out and just not think about things.

For something crafty, I recently took up counted cross stitch. Trust me, it’s really difficult to cross stitch and think about other things, at least not without seriously screwing up your cross stitch   I hope you can find some things to keep your mind off the situation and feel better!

My boyfriend has been away at college for 4 years, and he has one more year to go. It was hard to cope with, no doubt : ( But I learned to deal with it. Having Chacha has helped me, along with reading, shopping, and working. The time spent on doing things for myself helps the time go by fast.

I would look for places you can volunteer at. Elrohwen mentioned an animal shelter, but there are also lots of other options. It all just depends on what interests you.

I can relate, I will be moving away from my boyfriend for at least three years in about two weeks, so I’ve been planning ahead by picking up new hobbies and returning to some old ones to keep my mind and hands busy when I’m being extra alone and miserable before class start in August.  I bought myself a decent, but inexpensive piano and started playing again.  I played as a kid but it went by the wayside when I moved into a dorm room.  Now I play, not all that well, but often and it’s fun.  I also took up crocheting amigurumi toys.  I make a lot of bunnies.  Plus, cheap, already made Christmas and birthday presents!

I had to look amigurumi up. They are cute!

aerosmithgrl, you got Nova at just the right time. Bunnies take over your mind.
If you want to stay in with him more but still aid an animal shelter, have a look into what they do for fund raisers. You might be able to start making things to sell to as part of that.

Do you like kids?  I find that when you’re with kids (especially the young busy-busy ones) you can’t think about other things too much. You have to be switched on to keep up. They can be a hoot also. Maybe you could line up some baby sitting. Or if you prefer spend time with older kids, look at those companion programs. Like mentoring.

Crochet! You could learn to crochet, and then make baby hats or hats for really sick people at the hospital.

Try mentoring a kid. I started doing that through a program four months ago and it’s been really fun.

Posted By Cheddar33 on 06/20/2011 02:32 PM
Try mentoring a kid. I started doing that through a program four months ago and it’s been really fun.

What program is that?  

Aerosmithgirl, you’re going in the right direction, finding a hobby is a great way to take your mind off things.  Crafts are nice because you’ll feel good about the finished product, having had created something useful (like a hat!) from nothing.  Use this time to discover yourself and your independence!  Goodluck!  

There’s also exercise too, running or bicycling, or even just going for walks around town.  I like doing stuff outside, especially now that its summer.  Plus, you’ll get in shape and feel great!  

I also enjoy cooking & baking, making bread from scratch is wonderful.  You could also mail/give cookies/baked goods to your bf.. something you’ll both enjoy even if you’re apart.  

Ooh I love baking . That always cheers me up- maybe it’ll work for you too, Aerosmothgirl. Your bf would be impressed with your domestic skills too. I’ve had to deal with long distance relationships before- it’s hard to keep things upbeat when you miss them. It’s fine to let him know that you’re sad that he’s not there, but I understand your not wanting to sound too down. He shouldn’t dump you for that though. When you talk to him, just try to think of a couple funny/happy things to tell him (it’s fine to rehearse beforehand- lol) and I found that it was best not to ask too many questions at times. For instance, if you’re sitting home feeling pitiful on a Saturday night, you probably don’t need to hear about him and his buddies going to that awesome club/beach/etc. Just makes things worse. I was always a bit jealous when I was younger too, so that didn’t help either :p . Going out with the girls a lot is great, and I love the ideas about babysitting, volunteering and mentoring a kid. Anything that helps others gives us new dimensions in our lives and makes us better, stronger people.
I’ve started making hemp jewelry- it’s really fun. There’s all different colors of hemp and you can learn to do more complicated designs after you master the basic stuff. And the beads are addictive- my favorite is the bead stores where you can fill up a bag for a certain price . I bet there’s lots of great beads/supllies online too. Have fun- time will go way faster if you’re happy and busy .