It’s that time of year when high school and college kids discuss going long-distance with their partners. Long-distance can be tough on a relationship. I’ve been doing it for eight months now, and they’ve been a successful eight months, so here are my tips for helping your relationship survive and thrive from afar.
1.CommunicatE
This is probably the most basic tip, but it’s also the key to any good relationship, long-distance or not. Communication means updating your partner on everything, even the tiny minuscule details, as well as having a calling schedule. It can be every night or whatever works best for your relationship. Every relationship is going to be different, so find what works best for you. For example, I’ve seen tips that say that you shouldn’t text all day, but in my case, texting helps.
2. Find Time to see each other in person
Spending quality time with each other is important, and in a long-distance relationship, you don’t always get that. Carving out a weekend or more of time together is important. You get to go on dates and make up for that lost time. You have to work around each other’s schedules and make time for each other in person when the opportunity arises. It brings you closer together.
3. Have something to look forward to
Leaving each other is the worst part of long-distance. Every time I leave my boyfriend, I cry for hours. I often hear people say that you should always have your next in-person time planned, but that’s just not always feasible. So, instead, plan something that you can do on-call together; It makes sure that you have something to look forward to.
4. Send each other Presents
A lot of the time in college, you’re broke and a present every week just isn’t possible, so, instead, send presents for major anniversaries and Valentine’s Day. The presents don’t have to be large or expensive, they just have to be meaningful. If your partner isn’t satisfied with something like that or understands that you probably don’t have the money for something big, they probably aren’t the right person for you anyway.
5. Celebrate the small anniversaries
Everyone in a long-term relationship who I’ve talked to says that they stopped celebrating their small anniversaries after a year. When I say small, I mean the months. Every month, on the date you got together, try to do something. Watch a movie together and remember to say happy anniversary. It makes the time you spend apart fly by faster because you’re thinking in months, not in years. Every month means you’re closer to seeing each other. It’s the small victory that matters.
In my opinion, long-distance is the purest form of love possible. You can love without boundaries and through space. You get to know each other more, and you love harder when you see each other. Long distance isn’t easy, and it takes working with each other to make the relationship, well, work, but you get to love someone so purely, and it can be so worth it.