In a bit of a pickle

I don't know if this is the right way to go about this, I've basically just spouted all of my feelings and problems below and am hoping one of you folks could help me untangle this mess I feel that I'm in. I'm at a loss and not sure where to go.

I have a wonderful, gorgeous boyfriend who I love incredibly. Unfortunately, I had to move country for graduate school so we're apart for the unforeseeable future. We've been together for about two years, during which we ended up moving in together as well as trying an open relationship. The "rules" we set up were always quite loose, I wanted a few black and white rules whereas my partner was happy to experiment and see how things went and ended any conversation i started regarding what both of our comfort levels were. On his end, he went against some of the things I said I was uncomfortable with, which led me to get a bit anxious about the open stance of the relationship, which resulted in it's temporary closure.

The general idea was that we were allowed to fool around for the sake of fun and excitement, but not date or get emotionally involved with other people. There were some people I was uncomfortable with my partner doing this with (namely two ex girlfriends), but he went ahead and had sex with one of them several times anyway, as well as kissing one of the others.

When we decided to continue the relationship as a long-distance one, we both agreed opening the relationship again would be best. As soon as I landed in my new home, I tried to have a thought process about what it'd be like when he told me he'd slept with someone or kissed someone; to my own surprise, I wasn't too bothered by the thought, in fact I was happy that someone would be able to give him what I was in no position to.

I had an evening out with my new classmates and ended up kissing a guy there. He was lovely, it was fun. Turns out he's in my class, we ended up having sex a week later and the weekend after that. I told my partner and he said it was okay, but felt a little funny that it had happened more than once. I assured him that it was really just a sexy sex fun arrangement, and mentioned that we didn't really hang out, we just hooked up, which was very much the case at the time. I asked him if there was anything he was uncomfortable with me doing, he said he wouldn't really want me to date the guy. Similarly, I told the guy that I had a boyfriend before anything ever happened with us.

I've realised in the last few days that I do have some sort of feelings for the guy in my class. It's been a month since I met him, we barely see each other in classes but meet up for the odd coffee or lunch, and of course the hookup or two per week. He's the polar opposite to my partner.

I'm confused and feel incredibly torn. One of my main problems is the indefinite part of the long-distance relationship. While we were still together, the idea was that he could move nearby within the foreseeable future but then when we spoke the other day he was singing a one year lease for a house and thinking of switching jobs in the city he's in. I asked where he thought this was going, what the point was and he told me he loved me, loved what we're doing and said he thought we would make it work for the next few months, I'd come visit as planned, make it work for a few more months, he'd come visit then a few more months and so on. The reality is that we're on two different continents and a thirty hour plane ride away from each other with no plan to be together, i have four years of a graduate course so there's no way i can move back before that time.

Sometimes I wonder if I could be with someone who wouldn't have disrespected me and my feelings the way he did, who wasn't afraid to show me he loved me. After I told him about the new guy, he's been so much more loving and affectionate, but it bothers me that someone else on the scene was a trigger. I feel terrible about the whole situation, it's like he finally realised that I'm a good addition to his life. I feel guilty because I get butterflies when I'm around the new guy. I hate, hate to put it this way, but in a way I feel like my partner's a boy who has no plans to grow up.

I thought I'd give typing out my problem might help. I don't know, all it's done is make me cry and wonder what the fuck I'm doing. Any words of advice from those wiser would be greatly appreciated.
 
It's unrealistic to forbid emotional attachment to the people we interact with. That's what you have come to realize.
 
I agree with Max. You two had a plan. You were taking off and he was following you. Now he has changed the plan. I think it is unreasonable for him to expect you to only mindlessly screw other people for four long years while only seeing him every few months, And that is if this new plan works out. In the meantime polyamory is about loving more than one. There is nothing wrong with you having feelings for your classmate.
 
I agree with Max. You two had a plan. You were taking off and he was following you. Now he has changed the plan. I think it is unreasonable for him to expect you to only mindlessly screw other people for four long years while only seeing him every few months, And that is if this new plan works out. In the meantime polyamory is about loving more than one. There is nothing wrong with you having feelings for your classmate.

The restrictions were originally her idea.
 
The restrictions were originally her idea.

I'm not sure those restrictions were in place when they re-opened the relationship. My point was he was uncomfortable with her seeing a guy more than once, but it was he who changed the relationship dynamic (by not moving closer).
 
When you kiss, cuddle, do foreplay things, and fuck, endorphins and hormones such as oxytocin flood your body. These hormones are designed by nature to make you bond to the sex partner. You become infatuated and may fall in love.

You're dating the new guy, admit it. You're having lunches and coffee breaks as well as fucking. And why not? Fucking someone you can talk and laugh with is so much better and richer than something strictly anonymous. Fucking someone once and never again, maybe picking them up at a bar while drunk... this one night stand stuff can make you see other people as bags of meat who are only good for one thing, but never to be seen as a whole person.

Time to rethink your long term goals for love and sex relationships.
 
I am sorry you struggle.

In a nutshell? I think you are uncomfortable realizing you have outgrown him, and you a pre-mourning a break up even as you look forward to dating new dude some more.

LDR was something you tried but are finding is not going to work out.

  • The reality is that you are on two different continents and a thirty hour plane ride away from each other
  • You have no plan to be together.
  • You have four years of a graduate course so there's no way you can move back before that time.
  • "We can make out with people but not fall in love or date" is now limiting you in a way you don't want to be limited.
  • You are realizing that your LDR BF is "a boy who has no plans to grow up. "

He no longer meets your standard for the kind of dating partner you want to have.
  • In geography he's no longer local.
  • In character, he's not as mature as you would like

Not dating other people you want to date in order to stick to agreements with LDR BF you have outgrown feels uncomfortable. So... in order to be less confused and less uncomfortable you could accept it. You have outgrown him.

Could break up with LDR BF. Then you are free to date as you wish. See the dude you want to see. If you and LDR BF get back together later on after you graduate? You can deal with that option THEN when he shows you that he's matured.

In the present time, I think you could break up so you are free from confusion and free of agreements that limit your present dating life.

Hard to FEEL, because thinking about breaking up and breaking up is not fun stuff. But it seems like straightforward actions to me if the goal is to be less confused overall about the direction of your current dating life.

Galagirl
 
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Hello hulahoophooligan,
I like the handle. :)

I suppose you could talk to your long-distance boyfriend and ask him to reconsider the rule about having feelings for, and getting serious with, other people that you date. If he does not want to change the current (no serious feelings allowed) rule, I would go ahead and break up with him.

It's hard for me to imagine doing a 30-hour plane flight every couple of months. :eek:

Regards,
Kevin T.
 
Hey guys,

Thank you all of your words of advice. Unfortunately, the situation escalated a little bit this weekend. It was my friend's birthday, we got a bit drunk, I decided to send myself home because I'd had a little bit too much. When I was on my way home, I got a call from the college buddy, ended up going back to his house, having sex and passing out. Woke up the next morning to boyfriend furious with me, I called him as soon as I was on my way home, he didn't like the fact that I didn't tell him sooner that I was going to be at the guys house and that I hadn't gotten in touch the night before like I was meant to. I had no intention of going, it was a coincidence college buddy called and I ended up there and I was too drunk to call boyfriend, I was too drunk to even think about calling.

Now he's having sleepless nights and hating on the whole situation. Fuck, I never meant to hurt anyone in any of this. We Skyped for a few hours yesterday and he's started talking about coming over again, but I feel like those thoughts are driven by what's going on at my end rather than actually wanting to. I'm trying to be as understanding as I can, I let him yell at me and get all the bad things he feel out; it's hard to do, when I was in his boat when he had sex with a girl who was on the no-go list a few times, he didn't give me that luxury but was on the defensive all the time. I woke up to thirty messages this morning of varying degrees from fuck you to I can't trust you. I've never given him a reason not to trust.

Looking at it logically, I can see breaking up might be a good idea, you guys are right. The part of me that loves him can't bear the thought of him not being in my life. I don't want to break a great thing for the potential this new guy has, just because he has the leverage of proximity. I feel like such a dick and part of me just wants to blow both of them off and focus on school and myself.

In terms of the questions you raised about rules - I said no exgirlfriends, he wanted the no emotional involvement rule.
 
I will suggest that you don't have drunken sex with this guy (at least for a while). That just reeks not being serious.

Have a serious talk with your long distance boyfriend. Show him that you care about his emotions and the pickle you are in with you developing feelings for another guy.
 
In future, don't get drunk. And if planning to drink and you know you might over do it, have a designated buddy to drive you home you can trust or plan to sleep over at the designated friend's house if it is a safe, trustworthy space that is closer than your house. Don't sleep at the partying house. Don't drive yourself and def don't put yourself in a situation where you are not safe sleeping and/or you cannot give full, sober consent to sex. That can get rape-y. You are vulnerable when drunk/sleeping. :(

I have to wonder about the college dude. He does not obtain full, sober consent from you first? What's the matter with him?

As for BF? Take the out. He says to fuck off and that he cannot trust you. Ok. Be the "bad guy" if that's how he wants to paint you. Let it end.

He's having a tantrum at you over a mistake in judgement. He's raining phone abuse on you and then some. That's not right. I don't even know you in real life and I'm more concerned about your well being and safety. BF seems more concerned about his ego/pride being injured than your well being and safety. He's making it be about him. Ugh.

I feel like such a dick and part of me just wants to blow both of them off and focus on school and myself.

Sounds like a plan to me! Change your drinking behavior so you never have to feel regrets after making risky drunk choices again.

Dump them both, because neither sounds like they are putting your safety and well being on the front burner.

Focus on school. Heal from this experience.

When you date again pick more trustworthy, kind people. People who care about your well being/safety.

Galagirl
 
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I agree that your impulse to concentrate on yourself and school at this time is probably the correct one. Grad school is not a good time for relationship drama because of the intense pressure and personality drama doing grad work can entail. Not to mention you are doing it far from home in a new country.

It sounds to me that your boyfriend wants to keep dibs on you while doing his own thing regardless of plans with you. It is not fair of him to do that.

His idea of 30 hour plane trips every few months could be more upsetting (not to mention expensive) than helpful as you are likely to be caught up in work and the regular parting could throw you off emotionally when you can ill afford it.

We had a rule when my husband was in Grad school. "Fun that causes more stress does not count as fun". While the party or the trip with friends may be a blast, if you are going to be stressed out from losing work time, then it does not come out on the plus side. You may include getting too drunk to make good decisions under that category.

Leetah
 
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