By Tiffany Tang
After hours of looking up tips to survive a long distance relationship, I decided to ignore my friends’ warning of not getting myself into a long distance relationship. Although success rates for long distance relationships are low, I think it’s worth trying it out if you have a basis of trust and love. Here I have compiled a list of my research before coming to college and what I have learned in my first month of being in a LDR.
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Trust is key!
All LDR advice websites have one advice in common: trust your partner. Without trust, you’ll start to get paranoid about little things such as why your boyfriend liked another girl’s instagram photo or if he’s drunk and cheating on you at a party. DO NOT go into an LDR without trust because it will undoubtedly fall apart.
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Communication
Facetime, facetime, facetime! Facetime allows you to see his face which simulates a real life conversation. Although texting and talking on the phone are both ways of communication, facetime or skype is the best way to feel as if your partner is really with you. You should be talking to each other on a regular basis so set up a schedule to facetime so you can look forward to something every day.
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Be honest
Because you are not physically with each other, your partner won’t be able to tell if something is bothering you unless you tell them. Voice your frustrations before it starts building up and never go to sleep angry. It is very easy ignoring your partner and fading away from each other’s lives, so be vocal and talk about your problems as it occurs.
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Make plans to see each other
Knowing when you’re going to see your boyfriend again helps you stay positive and have something to look forward to. Being able to count down the days that will make all this distance worth it will make you feel like you’re not suffering for nothing.
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Stay connected
Simple things such as watching a TV series together will make you feel connected. A facetime dinner date where you eat the same food is a great way to feel as if you’re really eating together. Physical objects that remind you of him also helps when you miss him. An idea would be to have your boyfriend spray his cologne on a shirt and mail it to you.
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Give each other space
This might sound contradicting but you want to avoid excessive communication so you don’t start obsessing over your boyfriend’s life. Don’t constantly text him throughout the whole entire day because you will start getting sick of eachother and run out of things to talk about.
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Focus on the positive
Keep yourself busy! Being miles away from your boyfriend gives you free time that you can utilize for yourself. Use time that you would otherwise be spending hanging out with your boyfriend on making friends and discovering new hobbies.
When you run into any problems, keep in mind why you even entered a LDR in the first place. Tell yourself that it will all be worth it and stay positive!