Relationships and Jobs?

I don’t usually post on Reddit so I wasn’t sure how to title this properly so i’m sorry if it doesn’t make much sense. I (20F) met this guy (20M) through mutual friends at my university. He’s a welder (important context for later) and we really hit it off, very similar morals and ideals and we just get along super well. And to be completely honest, I know this sounds naïve but I got that “when you know you know” feeling after a couple of hangouts. I didn’t share this with anyone because I am aware it sounds insane.
Now, last Friday he had a job interview at another welding shop that is better pay and they have better equipment. He did really well on his weld tests and they ended up offering him the traveling position, which is a 3 year contract traveling all around the country. He took the offer because it was enough money to set him up to settle down with his life and buy a house and all of that. (and he didn’t share the amount of money so I don’t know the exact amount). However, he leaves in August and will be home sporadically throughout the 3 years, while working 12-14 hour days, Monday-Saturday.
We’re still hanging out as if this is going somewhere serious, and the other night I finally worked up enough courage to ask what was gonna happen at the end of the Summer. His answer left me so incredibly confused because he said he doesn’t want to do long distance. Extremely fair answer. So i asked him if we’re just gonna have this exclusive relationship that’s just gonna end when he leaves, but then he said that’s not fair to either of us. To be honest, I didn’t want to find out what that meant but I should have
asked what the expiration date of this “us” is. The only thing we established before this whole job thing happened was that we both weren’t seeing other people. I’m just confused because even after this conversation we’re still basically acting like we’re dating, we text goodmorning and goodnight, he calls me on his way home from work, he never lets me touch a single door, and we talk about hanging out with each others friends and families this summer. I just don’t understand why all of this is being said if he plans on ending it when he leaves. I also jokingly said “if the timing works you should call me at the end of your contract” and he said he’d obviously text me when he came home during the contract. I just cannot for the life of me figure out where his head is at, and I know i need to talk to him but I figured some strangers on the internet would have some life experience to tell me if I am being ridiculous.