Speaking as a girl who hasn't seen her boyfriend since February (but he'll be home in 16 days!), it's hard... it won't be easy. Though I suppose our relationship is less taxed because we've been friends for 6 years, and through one deployment in Iraq prior to dating. He's millitary and I'm civie, along with being a college student. There's no plausable way for me to go with him due to my school and horse schedule, as well as the lack of marriage plans in the foreseeable future which means the ARMY could give a shitless about our situation.
I miss him, today it's been bad becuase it's one of the days we don't talk on the phone... I do have a hard time sleeping with him, and hey, like everyone else I miss getting some too!
I fill my days to their fullest while he's gone just so when I have the down time at night to talk to him (thanks to ALLTEL's night minutes at 7pm) that's all that I have to do. We typically talk for two or three hours 4 times a week. I've also found it's easy to remain close to his family. I drop by see his mom once a week while she's at work, so we get to talk about him.
He's going to be shipping out to Iraq for a year somewhere in the Nov. to Dec. time range. It'll be hard and heart breaking, but it's something I've got to support him in. I won't get to see him for at least 6-8 months, maybe the whole year he's there if they don't give the guys leave.
My suggestion to you is to fill your life with things you didn't think you could do, something new and different. I've made it a point to hit the gym as well as reading lots of books. It's hard and it's lonely but if you want to make it work then it'll work out the way it's supposed to.
It's hard to have him leave, I always plan a full week the first week that he's gone. So full I really don't have time to think about much. If I find other things to do then I'm not so lonely.
I forget who it was mentioned a pet.... that's a great idea! Though my cat is currently suffering from "over love", and tries to avoid me at all costs.