missvanessa

ok guys, i need your help- my boyfriend of over a year is in the military. he is stationed here in nyc (where we met) for 2 more years, and then who knows where in the world he'll go next. we love each other very much and have an amazing relationship, but he has said all along from our first date that he doesn't want to get married until he retires from the military 15 years from now (when he's 38!) because having a wife and/or kids would be distracting to his career & that the constant moving around & worrying about him would be unfair to whoever would end up marrying him & their kids. (by the way, he's 24, i'm 23.) anyway, although he is without a doubt the love of my life and i still hold out hope that he will change his mind (specially after 3 years together), i can't help but feel that i'm wasting my time if i think i am going to change his mind and that i'm in for a rude awakening if i think we are going to end up together. i would NEVER expect, want ro ask him to leave the military for me; all i want is for him to at least try to be open to the idea of us staying together if our relationship is still as good as it is 2 years from now when he has to move on to the next place. i am not in any rush to get married or even engaged - i'm only 23! - but the thought that (if he indeed leaves and breaks things off in 2 yrs) i will have been in an intense, 3 year long relationship for nothing really bothers me. yes, its not really for "nothing" and i know life is all about the journey and not about the ending, but the fact will still be that i will end up alone even if i did my best to love and support him. so, my ultimate question is this: would you stay in a relationship that came with an expiration date? if you met the person of your dreams and they told you that you're the love of their life and the person they want to end up with...but you're going to have to wait 15 years, would you stay with them? keep in mind that you have almost 2 years left until that person leaves, which is a time period even longer than the amount of time you've been together, so in theory, anything is possible... would you stay with that person? would you accept that its going to end in a couple years and try to make the best of things while they last? would you try to change their mind? would you live for the moment and see where it goes, because hey, nothing in life is certain and they might change their mind? would you suggest seeing other people, just to keep your options open for someone who IS open to marriage if and when the time is right? or would you end it? please give me your opinions!!! thank you so much.