Dear Harlan,

I have been dating a boy for about seven months, and we are very much in love. We make plans for "forever" as if it's a restaurant to go to on Thursday. The only issue is that he is a year older than me. He is going to college a half-hour from where we live. I, however, have always dreamed of going far away, to Oregon or Washington. My boyfriend says he wants to go with me. I was perfectly OK with us going together provided we both get accepted into the college together, until one of my friends stepped in and began to try to talk me out of it, saying I would regret it. What do you think about this? Have you heard of this working, or is it better to just leave my life and love behind and start over new?

Confused HS Student

Dear Confused HS Student,

If I ran a "WORST IDEA OF THE YEAR" contest, this idea could make the final round. Here's how I see it: College takes up about nine months of the year -- with breaks, eight months. Figure that you'll see each other at least once every eight weeks or so (book cheap flights early). Then you have cell phones (free cell-to-cell minutes), the Internet, video chats and text messaging (use them all in moderation). You have your ENTIRE life to live with him and be close to someone. Being apart might be scary and uncomfortable, but learning how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable is more valuable than any degree. There's always the risk that one or both of you will find someone else, but love can endure. Having a life away from him and still wanting to be with him is the ultimate testament. But that's just one more opinion. The decision is up to you, but I'm with your friend on this one.

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