I just got into a relationship a couple months ago and let’s just say we did things in a weird order. We met just before I had to go back to Canada for winter break. So we ended up doing a month of long distance before we even been dating for that long. It was a very interesting experience to say the least.
There are some things that I think are beautiful about long distance. you get the chance to prove your commitment to the relationship by continuously committing to each other every day. Long distance is a constant choice of doing something hard over something easy. And it’s building trust. You have to believe that your partner will not do anything that will cross your boundaries or jeopardize your relationship. Doing long-distance can make you stronger in the long run. Doing it so early into the relationship, proves that we both thought this was something that was worth putting in the effort and something that could last long-term. It was worth being far for a short amount of time if it meant be back together when I got back to Dublin.
it’s also a chance to grow separate from your partner. You can continue to work on yourself and focus on your wants and your needs in a way that is harder to do otherwise. You aren’t hanging out with this person as often so you can focus on your hobbies and friends instead.
But with all that time to yourself comes change. You change as a person you grow, and that can lead to an interesting dynamic in your relationship when you get back to being consistently together in person. We as people are always changing and growing through every situation and experience we have. Which means we change throughout our relationship. The only reason we don’t notice it as much and it doesn’t impact our relationship is because we are constantly with that person as we change. So they never truly know a different version of you because as you’re changing, you’re still around them. However when you start doing long distance you’re away from each other for this period of time. And yes, you will try your best to keep in contact FaceTime texting, but it’s not the same. so when me and my boyfriend came back together, there was a little bit of weirdness in the beginning. We’re both these different versions of ourselves and now we had to figure out how we worked back together again. It didn’t take long or much effort but it was a strange feeling. It’s the same as seeing a friend for the first time in a while. It’s not bad just different.
So don’t let people scare you out of long distance. It can really challenging but it can also be a great chance to grow on your own and strengthen trust in your relationship. It may not be easy but with the right person, it’s worth it.