Losing sleep every night with  my mind racing and as a result sleeping through classes is not the ideal college experience I had in mind. Here's the situation: My guy and I are now states apart. We've never been official because of the timing (college) and distance. I've always said it's okay the way it is, because I care about him so much that I would rather it be this way than nothing at all. But at other times I think, if he actually cared about me as much wouldn't he just commit? No guys are fond of ulta matums which is another reason I why I've never pulled the "date me or I'm done" card, and part of me is too scared to even give one in fear that everything will abruptly end. He makes me happier than anyone in this world could. But it's making me miserable at the same time. Any advice via comments or messages would be GREATLY appreciated.

What makes you nostalgic? The answer for me: scents and songs. For every distinguished person in my life, there is a distinguished scent or song--maybe both. I once had a boyfriend who wore a certain type of lotion, and now if I ever put on the same type of lotion or smell it on someone else, the memories come rushing. My current boy wears a disctinctive deoderant and if I ever catch a scent of that, you'd think I was a dog who caught picked up the waft of a steak bone. I have different perfumes sitting on my dresser at home that I absolutely refuse to completely empty or throw away. Each bottle is associated with a different time; a different season; different people. I want to preserve the memories. Songs are the same way. There are those songs we listen to on repeat as we cry and mourn. To me, they can be so powerful and associated with the situation that sometimes I can't even listen to the song for awhile--or ever. There are also those songs related to good memories; the song that was playing while you and so-and-so danced. Sometimes there are songs not even related to specific events that can still evoke nostalgia. I think of songs I heard for the first time with certain people and the memories of the relationship with them are brought back to life. Crying my eyes out on my last nights of summer, knowing I would never have as good of a one as this, I repeated the same playlist. Those songs bring me back to those nights and all the memories made. Sometimes it's good to let go of things and move on, and other times you may just not be ready. I was afraid to turn on the radio for two weeks after a bad breakup, out of fear that I would hear the wrong song and end up bursting into tears. (Okay, I actually cried constantly for a month so bursting into tears would not have been much of a change of state.) I encourage to you take the time to value and cherish the things that you know need to be let go; then do it. The memories are enough to last forever. If anything, hold onto those.