Sigh. The dreaded long-distance relationship. The giant elephant in the room that everyone kinda skirts around and refuses to mention. Well, it’s time we talk.
Take it from someone who is in a long-distance relationship and hasn’t (completely) lost her mind. Yes, they’re a lot of work, and sometimes it sucks sleeping alone, but in the end, it’s totally worth it.
Here are a few helpful tips to help you to survive your own long-distance relationship…
They Hate Us, Cuz They Ain’t Us — You need to realize that if you’re going to do this, you need to turn your friends, family and everyone else with an opinion on mute. People will judge you, because people suck. These people include your friends (yes, even your friends will judge you) and family members, which also sucks, but you have to realize no one understands YOUR relationship like you do. There will be PLENTY of times when they question your sanity, because you choose to date someone across the country. Please, don’t let it get to you. Merely smile and explain how wonderful it is not having to shave your legs, then flip your hair and walk away.
Communicate — Duh. This is the age of information. Yeah, your boyfriend is ten hours away, but he might as well be in your pocket. We have texting, Skype, Facetime, etc. Use them! Wanna hear something lame? My boyfriend and I sometimes have “dates,” where we both watch the same movie and Skype at the same time. Yeah, I know all of you are gagging and think that’s probably pathetic, but the reality is with all of this new technology, theres a lot of stuff you can do together, so that you don’t feel so far apart. On the flip side…
Don’t Be Glued to Your Phone — No one likes that girl. No one. Yes, technology makes your long-distance lover accessible at all hours of the day, but please, if you’re out with your girlfriends, put your phone down. Sure, you can check in every once in a while, but if you’re out at the bars on a Friday night, it’s REALLY hard to drink with your nose glued to your phone. It’s really okay to go a couple of hours without saying anything, trust me.
The End is Near — You won’t survive if you don’t know when the distance will be over. Sorry if that’s harsh, but it’s the truth. Both partners need something to look forward to, something to keep their motor running. There’s not really an “end goal” if someone just moves away, with no chance of ever returning or of them being physically together. So, make sure when you take the leap into the big, bad world of LDRs, you’ve established a clear end date. Then, make a countdown, because countdowns are fun and there’s nothing better than getting to single digits.
Remind Yourself “It’s Worth It” — I’m not going to sugarcoat anything for you. There will be times when the distance gets to be too much. You’ll cry. You’ll be overwhelmed from missing the other person so much. You’ll psych yourself out. You will fight, and let me tell you, LDR fights are the most emotionally exhausting types of fights there are. You will want to throw in the towel. You will want to completely give up. When it comes to these points, which undoubtedly will happen at some time or another, you have to remind yourself of the end result. You know, deep down, it’s totally worth it in the end, and that this is just a hiccup. Just remember what they always say: nothing worth having comes easy.
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