Long distance relationships are not for the faint hearted. This is particularly true when one or both individuals are experiencing something completely new and unfamiliar, which is most likely the case if the couple in question are taking a semester or even a year abroad. Prior to departure, couples often tend to apprehend the nostalgia they may feel once separated, so place an unnatural amount of pressure on themselves to fit into each others lives and schedules, even whilst totally separate and maybe even on completely different time zones. The most basic fear that tends to pack itself into a long distance circumstance is that someone will cheat, and understandably so. Visiting a foreign country can be exhilarating and often prompts individuals to throw caution to the wind, whether this is through bungee jumping, eating bizarre foods or starting up an affair with a local. When it comes to long distance relationships, it is essential to remember that you most likely made the decision independent of your partner. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to break-up, nor that you want to sleep around whilst away. Chances are, being apart from this person is one of the most difficult things you have ever done, but if staying together means you will be on your phone all night while out with friends, old or new, or you have days wholly devoted to being miserable because your other half didn’t or couldn’t talk to you, chances are, you’re limiting yourself, your fun and your experience as a whole. Absolutely, “Abroad Relationships” can work, but you have to know how much pressure is justifiable to put on yourself and this other person, and when it is just too much. The whole point of going abroad is to experience something new, so why cling on to the old? If it was meant to be before the distance, it most likely will continue after.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter.