My D.C. off-term situationship (CLASSIC Dartmouth canon event) is graduating soon. I think he will be back in D.C. in June. I am also going to be in D.C. for a few days in June, and he told me to text him if I’m ever back in D.C. … should I text him if I’ll only be there for three days?
- Anonymous
You’re asking because you want to send the text. You just need someone to tell you it’s okay. So here it is: Yes. Send it. Green light. Yada yada.
But before you do, take a second to assess: What are you looking for with this? A rekindling? A casual catch-up? Would seeing him make your trip better? More complicated? The key is knowing what you want before you unleash the “hey, random, but I’m in town” text. (Side note: the text itself doesn’t even matter. He’s gonna see your name pop up and probably know the answer before he even reads the message.)
Remember, texting him doesn’t mean you’re signing up for anything. It’s just an invitation. And there’s no harm in offering it. If he wants to meet up? Great. Maybe you get a good story, a drink, a little closure. If he ghosts? No harm done. Your trip is still intact. You are exactly as interesting, funny and incredible as you were five minutes before you sent that text.
If you’re ever given the chance, take it!
- Leila
TEXT HIM. DO IT. Do it, do it, do it. As someone who has never let go of anything ever, I find myself in situations like this a lot. Has this mentality humbled me many times? Absolutely. I frequently have to scroll past an unanswered text or two from random situations to prevent myself from rereading what I sent and feeling like an idiot. Although this way of life has created many awkward situations, it has also brought many highs. You truly never know who’s going to respond, even to the most heinous texts.
In terms of the craziness scale, this text is on the low end. He told you to text him, and if he was just trying to be nice, there are about a thousand other things he could’ve said. Did he say “Maybe we’ll reconnect some day?” or “I hope I get to see you again?” No. He told you to text him. That’s specific, and he probably, definitely still wants you.
Also, the fact that it’s not even May and you’re already thinking about how you’ll text him when you go to D.C. in June makes me inclined to recommend that you extend your trip, just so you can spend more time with him when he inevitably responds to your text.
Seriously though, my recommendation is bold, but if I didn’t send something like this, I’d regret it for a while. Text him a couple days before you’re scheduled to be in D.C.. It doesn’t have to be crazy, just “I’m coming to D.C. in a couple days, would love to catch up if you’re in town!” Best-case scenario, you have a whirlwind three-day romance, begin a long distance relationship, eventually get married and have a beautiful life that you thank this column for giving you. Worst-case scenario, you have to quickly scroll through the text graveyard. Somewhere in the middle, you might get free dinner and a walk down memory lane. I’d take those odds any day.
- Eli
Freak of the Week is a weekly relationship advice column co-written by Leila Brady ’27 and Eli Moyse ’27. If you’d like to submit a question, email it to dartmouthfreakoftheweek@gmail.com
Eli Moyse ’27 is an opinion editor and columnist for The Dartmouth. He is from Connecticut, and studies government and creative writing.
On campus, Eli is an active member of the Dartmouth Political Union and Dartmouth Army ROTC. He attends Dartmouth on an ROTC scholarship, and upon graduation, he will commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He has been an active writer and political organizer from a young age, working on over 15 political campaigns varying from local to presidential races, and publishing both fiction and nonfiction on various platforms.
First and foremost, Eli loves to write, and he intends to make some form of it his full time career after his time in the Army.
