Northwestern’s cuffed students are planning dates for the upcoming winter break. Couples are looking forward to spending time together while navigating the difficulties of long-distance relationships and conflicting plans during the holiday season.
Bienen sophomore Hanna Oyasu lives in Palatine, Illinois, twenty minutes away from her boyfriend and Bienen sophomore Henry Lazzaro.
They recently celebrated their six-month anniversary and said they enjoy studying and taking walks together during the school year.
“Over winter break, we might go to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra if they have good concerts,” Oyasu said. “We could also go to the Chicago Botanic Garden; they have a light show and holiday-related events.”
Bienen sophomore Matthew Mailman said he is planning a week-long trip to London with his long-distance girlfriend, who goes to the University of Michigan.
“We’ve known about each other since kindergarten, but we became friends in middle school,” Mailman said. “We started dating at the end of sophomore year, and we just haven’t stopped.”
The couple is planning to visit Hyde Park and spend a day in Oxford before the holidays start.
As a college student in a long-distance relationship, Mailman said communicating online does not compare to spending time together in person.
“It’s just really hard to stay connected to your partner,” he said. “I think a lot of a relationship is based on intimate moments, whether it’s a hug or spending time together. She’s an engineering major and I’m dual degree, so we spend maybe an hour a day if it lines up.”
Weinberg sophomore Eunice Lee said her trip to Japan and her boyfriend’s trip to Spain will prevent them from meeting up in person during both Thanksgiving and winter break.
Despite the separation, Lee said being a campus couple makes up for the time they’ll have to spend apart. She added that seeing each other regularly takes away the pressure of planning many formal date nights.
“I really like having an on campus relationship,” Lee said. “It’s good because you can spend a lot of time together. And you don’t have to have a lot of date nights. We can just study together.”
Communication senior Angelina Friedrichs’ boyfriend is a junior at a university in Denver. This break, the two are meeting in their hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“I haven’t seen him in three months, so I’m really excited to see him,” Friedrichs said. “I’m leaving tomorrow, so I’m counting down the hours. It’s hard not seeing him, but we talk every day and that helps.”
With the slight difference in their finals schedules, Friedrichs said they have been able to stay in good contact even during exam season.
Friedrichs said though her winter break is shortened as a resident assistant, she and her boyfriend will make plans day by day once they are reunited.
“He’s having Thanksgiving at his uncle’s this year and invited me over,” Friedrichs said. “We’re just going to make the most of the time we have.”
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