My representative was in full effect when Kate and I first started dating. One night I spent more than an hour cooking fresh vegetables and tofu in a homemade peanut sauce. She was impressed. Then I told her the truth: “If you weren’t here tonight, I’d be eating frozen pizza.” She was even more impressed with my honesty. 

Recently, I moved to Barre, Massachusetts for a dream fellowship at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS). I’m blessed to have the support of everyone in my life to be here, including my girlfriend Kate. Friends regularly ask me with some concern: “How does that work with Kate?” It’s a fair question. A long-distance relationship is hard work.

I’d only been a few days into living at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) when one word spoken in a certain way generated an insight into an edge of my meditation practice that I’d been working with for years.