Nothing happens overnight. We were together for almost seven years, but at the 4 year mark when I thought he was going to propose and didn't? A small part of me started losing hope in the relationship. It turns out, we were at different points in our lives. Nearing the end of the relationship, I had recently finished college, and simply had bigger dreams. I was ready for my decently paying adult job, and he was content working the same hourly gig for the last 10 years, his high school job. I hope y'all understand that it wasn't just the job, and there's a lot more to it.
A huge factor in my decision to end things was realizing I never did anything for me. Instead of going out of state to my first pick university, I commuted an hour each way to a closer college, everyday for four years, because I was in a long term relationship. We were each other's firsts, had been dating since I was 17 and he was 20. I honestly hadn't made a single choice in my adult life that didn't somehow involve him. Not to say that's a bad thing, and sometimes I feel selfish for wanting otherwise, but I felt like I was missing out on a lot of experiences in college, life, and otherwise.
I used him as a social crutch. After my most of my high school friends moved away for college, I was left with my boyfriend, and his friends. Aside for the people I went to school with (who lived an hour away, mind you), I didn't have any of my own friends.
It's been two years since the breakup, but when I think back to when I sat down and ended it, I still get emotional and depressed just thinking about it. It took well over a year for me to finally be at peace with the decision, and not be in constant pain and regret.
Fast forward to 3 months after we split: I moved to out of my hometown, took on my almost dream job, and lost a significant amount of weight. Two years later, I've made my own friends, dated, still have a great job, and ran a goddamn marathon. I'm doing what I want to do, living my life, making my choices, and I no longer live with regret for making myself happy.