Ah, the beginning of the school year — new classes, new friends and new boys. But for some of us, heading back to school means leaving behind our “old” boy. Whether you’re leaving each other for the first time or you’ve done it a few times before, separating is never easy. Having been in a long-distance relationship for the past year, I can attest to that, but if you love each other, it’s super worth it. Here are five tips to help you cope and keep your bond strong, no matter how far away you two are.
Communication Communication is key in every relationship. When you can’t cuddle or kiss or even just hang out, communicating becomes that much more important. This means sending each other texts throughout the day (no matter how much your friends tease you about it) and Skyping often. You should talk about anything and everything so that you feel connected to each other’s lives. It’s also important to talk about the relationship as it evolves and make sure you are both still 100 percent committed.
Balance It’s essential to balance your relationship with your life at school. You need to give attention to your friends and, of course, to your schoolwork while still nurturing your relationship. You shouldn’t give up going out with your friends to stay in and Skype with your boyfriend. However, you also shouldn’t blow off any scheduled Skype dates because something else came up. On weeknights or nights when you just feel like staying in, make sure you video chat for a while to tell all those can’t-be-explained-over-text stories.
Visits Visits are what we look forward to and count down to, and they are vital to keeping a long-distance relationship alive. Sometimes, it’s hard to find cheap tickets or time in your busy schedule to travel, but there is no replacement for seeing each other in person. What you do on these visits is really critical; it is hard to resist the urge to stay in and cuddle the whole time, but visits are great opportunities to make fun memories, too. Go on dinner dates, go out to parties and make sure you do something unique to your school (like going to a Carolina basketball game!).
Sharing It’s important to share things while you’re far away. This can be as simple as sending him a link to something you know he’ll enjoy or watching a T.V. show at the same time and texting about it. Sending surprise gifts is also a really cute way to share something and let your boy know you’re thinking about him. Sharing little experiences like all of these bring you closer and make you forget how far away you two are, even if it is just for a moment.
Trust Trust might be the main ingredient in a long-distance relationship. You can’t stay with someone who lives hundreds, maybe thousands, of miles away if you’re constantly wondering whether or not he’s being faithful. You need to believe he’s committed to you, and of course, you have to be just as committed to the relationship. I find that being completely honest and telling your boyfriend about every little thing makes it a lot easier, especially if you’re like me and expect him to tell you about everything, too.
Best of luck to all of you in long-distance relationships out there!
Sources:
Map (photo): Elev8.com, http://elev8.com/spirit/relationships-daily-offering/orethawinston/how-to-make-your-long-distance-relationship-last/