I 27(M) currently in a relationship with a girl I've been dating for more than five years. Before we started dating, we were best friends since high school, so I've practically known her my whole life. Two years ago, I had to move abroad to pursue my master’s degree, and since then, we’ve been doing long-distance. We haven’t met in person during this time because I haven’t had the chance to go home. It’s a serious relationship, and we do intend to get married once we can close the gap.

The last two years have been a rollercoaster for me, juggling studies, part-time work, moving apartments, and most importantly, establishing myself in a foreign country. No matter how busy I’ve been, I’ve always made it a point to communicate with my girlfriend every day, whether through calls, video chats, or text messages.

Last week, I had to attend a friend’s wedding a few states away. While I was in that city, I decided to meet up with an old friend who lives there. This girl and I go way back and used to be pretty close during our university days. Although we never had romantic feelings for each other, we did share a few moments during our summer trips in college. However, after graduating, we didn’t keep in touch much and would only see each other at parties.

When I told her I was visiting her city, she asked me to drop by, and I was really excited to reconnect with an old friend I used to be close to. We spent the whole evening together—she showed me around her city, we went out for dinner, and I ended up staying at her place because it was too late to drive back. We had so much to talk about and ended up staying up almost the entire night.

The morning after I left, I couldn’t stop thinking about our conversations during the drive back. Meeting her made me feel genuinely content, especially since it’s been so long since I’ve had a woman’s full attention on me. It made me feel special. I have to admit, the long distance has definitely intensified my longing for physical connection.

After I got home, I wasn’t sure if it was just post-vacation blues or if I genuinely missed my friend, but I felt awful. She also texted me, saying how much she’s missing me already, and mentioned that she cried after reaching home from work because I wasn’t there. Her birthday is the week after next, and she’s insisting that I come. I’m not sure if going would lead her on, but a part of me definitely wants to go back.