Lets start with what long distance, LD, means and how it tends to happen. Usually, it is a couple dating in high school that want to stay together but one person, or both, decide to go to a far away college. Of course, each person needs to be free and go to the college of their dreams, but this can put some relationships in a rocky situation. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but how you and your significant other go about it, could be. A lot of times before when you tell people that you are going to try to “make things work” while you or your significant other go to college, people constantly tell you: “You should not go into college with a boyfriend from home”. But what do they really know about me and my life? Not much and definitely not enough to tell me that I should break up with my boyfriend purely due to the distance.
Let me be the one to tell you, LD is extremely hard. Not knowing when you will see your significant other again is a terrible feeling, but if you truly want it and you are willing to work for it, it can be the most trustworthy and strong relationship.
When going into a LD relationship, many people seem overly hesitant about it and some will just end their relationship before it gets to that point. When one person moves far it, by no means, means that you should end it instantly. Talk to the person, see if trying LD could work for you. The problem is that it really does not work for everyone. It is not easy. You will see all of your roommates bring their boyfriends over and you will likely feel jealous. That is okay because your feelings are important. It is times like these that are heartbreaking, because you are without the one person that you know could truly make you happy. Same goes with having a bad day, just laying with them and watching a movie would feel so good but you can’t. But you know what? That is okay because you are strong and you can do it. Just breathe, as cheesy as that sounds, and think about how happy you will be when you finally get to see that other person.
It seems that older generations discourage LD relationships, especially in college. This is likely due to the fact that when they were our age, technology was not at the point it is today. Talking to someone that is 2,000 miles away is just as easy as some that lives next door to you. Of course LD relationships involve more than just calling people on the phone but technology allows for more consistent contact throughout the day. This is a really important and an underrated aspect of LD. Texting your significant other often is normal in all relationships, but when in a LD relationship you want and need to feel connected some how so keeping up to date with one another is a good place to start.
With the improvements in technology comes the advancement in travel. I have found that a lot of times it is cheaper to fly than it is to drive. With the point of where gas currently is, driving 7 hours would hurt your pocket. Not that flying is cheap but it is less expensive and less time consuming than driving. Which brings up another issue with LD, it is highly expensive. Taking weekend vacations once a month adds up between the flight, the food for the weekend, the outings you want to do, and the hotel. It is definitely a time to save up for but it is like taking miniature vacations constantly with your best friend! It adds up but I find it to be more fun because you can take turns planning what you will do each day and showing them around your new city or if one person is still in your hometown they can show you what’s new!
The final point, which you will just have to take my word for is that seeing your significant other after 2 months of doing nothing besides texting and FaceTiming, you will feel so happy and so overwhelmed with joy. Just being in the presence of that person will brighten the darkest day. It is honestly a little awkward though, because you get so used to not seeing them but you’ll get past that. This is what I find to be the most heartwarming part of LD and this is the moment where I remember it was all worth it.
What it comes down to is: long distance relationships are important. They really do take extra effort which not everyone may have time for and that is completely valid. Although, being in a LD relationship could be the best decision you will ever make, but there is only one way to find out.