u/Salt-Lengthiness1807

TLDR: Not sure whether to break up with boyfriend over not clicking, as i still value our relationship

I've been in a relationship with my high school sweetheart for 4.5 years. The first few years of the relationship was a little rough because I/we didn't really understand ourselves enough, and because of projection issues on my part.

Things smoothed out after a while, but there are still flaws here and there such as physical attraction, different ways of showing affection, religion etc, however we were always of the opinion that there's no perfect relationship, and it takes work to compromise with your partner, so everything was pretty much fine.

However, last year, I left for a year abroad, and things went a little rough. I think the distance apart made it easier for us to place less importance on the relationship, causing the flaws from previous years to surface a little more, and I also started thinking a lot more about whether we truly click well. When I'm with him, it's more of a comfortable presence, whereas with my friends I am a bit more energetic and laugh a lot. I kind of want to seek a middle balance between these comfortable and high-energy states, and sometimes I feel like I can't get that. Sometimes we both aren't on the same page in a conversation and it just drops off awkwardly.

In spite of that, and what really fucks with me, is that he's a really good person, friend, and partner. He has qualities that I would want in my ideal life partner, such as being responsible, patient, empathetic and kind (some may say this is the bare minimum, and maybe it is...).

I know people say you don't need a reason to break up, but I kind of just want to ask, what's the balance people strike when it comes to clicking VS ideal qualities? If I break up, and I regret it, I know I'll have to suck it up and keep living, but how do you know when you're just being fickle by thinking about breaking up? Does anyone really ever know when they'll find the person that matches the most for them?

TLDR: Not sure whether to break up with boyfriend over not clicking, as i still value our relationship

I've been in a relationship with my high school sweetheart for 4.5 years. The first few years of the relationship was a little rough because I/we didn't really understand ourselves enough, and because of projection issues on my part.

Things smoothed out after a while, but there are still flaws here and there such as physical attraction, different ways of showing affection, religion etc, however we were always of the opinion that there's no perfect relationship, and it takes work to compromise with your partner, so everything was pretty much fine.

However, last year, I left for a year abroad, and things went a little rough. I think the distance apart made it easier for us to place less importance on the relationship, causing the flaws from previous years to surface a little more, and I also started thinking a lot more about whether we truly click well. When I'm with him, it's more of a comfortable presence, whereas with my friends I am a bit more energetic and laugh a lot. I kind of want to seek a middle balance between these comfortable and high-energy states, and sometimes I feel like I can't get that. Sometimes we both aren't on the same page in a conversation and it just drops off awkwardly.

In spite of that, and what really fucks with me, is that he's a really good person, friend, and partner. He has qualities that I would want in my ideal life partner, such as being responsible, patient, empathetic and kind (some may say this is the bare minimum, and maybe it is...).

I know people say you don't need a reason to break up, but I kind of just want to ask, what's the balance people strike when it comes to clicking VS ideal qualities? If I break up, and I regret it, I know I'll have to suck it up and keep living, but how do you know when you're just being fickle by thinking about breaking up? Does anyone really ever know when they'll find the person that matches the most for them?

I need to get some work done before a late flight out of Athens, and I'll be there at ATH from about 8am-7pm. I know there isn't really much of a good studying place apart from the food court on ground floor, but I'm worried there won't be a charging outlet there. I'm hesitant to head out of the airport as well because 1. I'll have a suitcase and 2. I don't want to pay the 9euro metro fare or pay for a taxi. Any recommendations?