DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 1/2 years old, and my boyfriend for the past four months just had to move across the country because his father is in the military and got transferred.

We were really close, and we felt a tremendously special connection with each other. He was everything I've been looking for: polite, respectful, handsome and — best of all — he never put any pressure on me ever to do anything I wasn't comfortable with.

We talked about possibly being able to go to the same college, but until then, we're stuck on opposite coasts.

I know you will tell me to have an active social life for my next two years here in my hometown, but there's no doubt I'm going to keep in touch with my guy via FaceTime, texts, emails and any other ways I can find to communicate with him.

I already feel like each day is dragging by so slowly. I'm hoping this school year and the next one will go by quickly so I can become an adult and go to college, and we can hopefully be together again.

I've noticed that I'm now constantly waking up in the middle of the night not able to sleep well. I know it's because I'm worried about my transition without him. Do you have any practical ideas on how I can best deal with the next two years? — Heartbroken He's No Longer Here, via email

HEARTBROKEN THAT HE IS NO LONGER HERE: My advice would be to keep as busy as you can so that the time passes quickly. Busy days will turn into busy weeks and busy months.

Seek to work on things that are important to you. Perhaps try a volunteer project of some sort or put a lot of time and effort into figuring out what career path you would like to pursue once you're out of college. You might seek an internship in that field.

I also suggest that you and your guy set up parameters for communicating on a weekly basis, rather than a daily basis. This is because you need to adjust to the circumstances you will be facing for the next two years. Perhaps Saturday mornings you could call or FaceTime each other and catch up on how your lives are going. I recommend avoiding daily communication unless something is truly urgent.

You should pursue platonic social friendships to keep busy also. It's possible the two of you will get through a few years and reunite in college to resume your interrupted romance. But you also need to prepare yourself for the fact that one or the other of you may pursue a different direction between now and then.

Plan to keep in touch in a measured way for now; I feel that will best serve the two of you over the next two years.

I PREFER MY NICKNAME

DR. WALLACE: I'm starting my senior year in high school, and even though I won't be 18 for almost a year, I'd like to change my name. I prefer to go by a nickname that suits me really well, one several people already call me.

I'm not talking about filing papers with the state and changing my name legally; I'd just like to be addressed at school and in my private life by my chosen nickname. One of my parents is fine with this. The other one is not very happy about it. My friends at school are 100% behind me.

Do you think this is a big deal or not? Should I continue being addressed at school and home by my given first name simply to please only one parent, or should I insist that everyone call me by the name I'd like? — My Nickname Makes Me hHappy, via email

MY NICKNAME MAKES ME HAPPY: I don't see any problem having everyone at school and most of your family call you by your preferred nickname. Most teachers and schools don't have a problem with this at all these days, and as long as your nickname is tasteful, there shouldn't be any issue.

As far as your home life goes, you could tell the parent who is not happy that the nickname makes you very happy and you prefer it, but that it's no problem if your parent wants to call you by your given name.

You'll achieve 99% of your goal but keep the parent who doesn't approve from feeling steamrolled.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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