CPolk, Welcome to Piecing. You sound like your're in a good frame of mind. Being grateful for the positives that you have in the R will help you weather the distance, and problems along the way.
Use this time to work on yourself. Continue with GAL activities that bring you joy. Make becoming a better H a personal goal. I'm reading a book by Robert Alter, "It's Mostly His Fault." It's a call for the H to acknowledge that marital difficulties are usually the result of the H's failure to connect to his W.
Don't wait for the R to improve, and for your W to come around. Use this time to work on those areas you can improve as a H. I think that will speed-up the process of increasing connection and intimacy in the M.
CL
CL 53 W 54 M 20 yrs. 03'-09' Separation + Old Patterns + GAL 10-14' Piecing
"The Master allows things to happen. She shapes events as they come."
