In this episode of East Village Love Stories, Aria Young shared the story of her recent breakup: My ex-boyfriend and I were in a long-distance relationship for one and a half years. Despite the distance, our love was passionate and intense. As an international student in New York, I don’t have family in the states to rely on. So his family became mine. I stayed with his family on holidays and weekends, and he visited me in the city often as well. I was so confident in our partnership and in our future together — until I was proved wrong. What I thought were “healthy disagreements” turned into outbursts of anger from both of us. My insecurities in the relationship clashed with his lack of determination for the future. Questions about my legal status came into play, childhood traumas and personality flaws weighed on our shoulders… While I held the relationship hostage and demanded the security that I wasn’t able to find anywhere else, he pulled away in fear. Towards the end of our relationship, we still loved each other intensely, but he was too exhausted to try again. For me, losing him was more than a breakup, it felt like losing my home. Being young and alone in this country, I am constantly struggling to feel safe and secure. Without a partner to call home, I am now finally learning to find comfort in myself, to love life through my creativity, and to heal my inner child, the child that has been hurt and abandoned before and still feels that way. Bell Hooks said, “Love saves us only if we want to be saved.” Reflecting on my failed relationship, I was not ready for redemption no matter how redeeming love felt. While the loss of a lover still follows me like a shadow, I feel this new journey beginning — a journey of growth and discoveries, a journey I can only go on by myself.