How to say goodbye?

[Dark_Phoenix]

How do I say good bye to my boyfriend?

I'm going to the UK for university this autumn but I'm moving over this summer.

We're still really close and I know I'm going to miss him but I also know this is a once in a lifetime chance that I can not give up. I think he'll understand, I told him a long time ago that I was moving to the UK for university but we've already started shopping for dorm stuff and the date I move is just starting to loom.

I don't think a long distance relationship would work out because we're not exactly "about to be engaged" kind of close but we care about each other alot. I just don't know what to say...

 

[purrtykitty]

Have you told him exactly what you told us? Maybe he feels the same way and you two can part on good terms and remain friends. Or perhaps he'd be willing to give a long-distance relationship a shot. I don't know that "goodbye" is necessarily the right term (for lack of a better word). It sounds like you two have a genuine connection that is hard to come by. I would imagine that you two would stay in contact, even if you didn't remain together.

I'm kinda rambling, but I guess what I'm trying to say, is what I said earlier...tell him what you told us. His answer might surprise you, or it might tell you exactly what to say to him. At any rate, enjoy these last few months you have with him before you move.

 

[Kiseki]

Been there, done that... what did I do?

I didn't say goodbye, I told him that we probably would begin to feel attracted to other people and that we might as well not make promises we wouldn't end up keeping and hiding. So we basically decided we would always be honest and whatever happened, the other one would be the first to know.

I came back earlier than expected, we resumed the relationship (that ended six months later amicably), however the key here is honesty. To this day he remains one of my closest friends and this was almost 10 years ago.

Even if you do give the long distance thing a shot, honesty is the key and be prepared that in a new environment either one of you probably will feel attracted by someone else and discuss it.

 

[Divinity]

You both are going to meet so many people and who knows what will happen? But as long as you both are honest with each other and your feelings for each other, who knows what will happen between you in the future?

 

[Fairybelle]

ITA with the above posts. I would also take a moment to write everything down...your thoughts, feelings, pros, cons, about the situation. You might just find the 'right words' when you start to let it out on paper rather than just spill your heart on the spot with him there.
Then I would take those words and keep them in a diary. Say what you need to say to him from what you had time to think about, and save the rest to look back at if you ever find yourself missing him.
From personal experience I know that sometimes I have said things that I should not have said, and should have said things that I needed to say. This will happen anyways, but giving yourself time to write it down first can be very helpful in making a goodbye or even a 'time out' well-said and without (or at least minimize) regret.