Before I found myself in one, a long distance relationship sounded like my worst nightmare. As much as I love my alone time, quality time is extremely important to me, especially in my relationships. The ability to coexist with someone I care for quickly became a luxury, and much sooner than I had expected it to.
My boyfriend and I started dating while I was home for the summer. We had gone to school together our entire lives and lived just a few minutes apart, but had never connected until this past year. We got to know each other quickly through mutual friends, and soon after it was hard to keep us apart. When things became official in the middle of the summer, I was as happy as could be. I was home with all of my friends and family, working and spending time with all of the people closest to me, and it felt as if everything was falling into place.
It wasn’t until I took a look at the calendar that I realized just how quickly my wonderful summer would be coming to an end. Knowing that we would soon have to be long-distance felt like a slap in the face, seeing as we had so recently made things official. I was worried that the distance between us would end up hurting us, but it ended up having quite the opposite effect.
I quickly came to learn through my experience that while I missed him desperately, the distance between us was making us stronger. I had always just assumed that the phrase was something people used to make themselves feel better through the experience, but it turns out that distance does help to strengthen a relationship in ways that I would have never thought of before going through it myself.Â
The largest change I noticed was the ways in which we communicated with each other. Because we could no longer rely on each other’s physical presence, we were forced to learn how to communicate with one another in ways we both needed. The conversations we were having with each other grew deeper and more intentional, as we were communicating less often than before. This led to a greater focus on our emotional connection, as we shared little details about our days and deepened our emotional bond.
In a similar sense, I began to appreciate the time we are able to spend with each other even more. Being a few hours away from each other, he often comes to visit every couple of weeks. While this is more often than many get to see their long-distance partner, it still has been a large adjustment. While it will always feel difficult, it has taught me to deeply appreciate the time we get to spend together, as well as appreciate the down time for personal growth.Â
My long-distance relationship has taught me how to trust wholeheartedly and not to take our time together for granted. It has given me time to enjoy where I am on my own and continue to grow in my own endeavors, while also knowing that I have a loyal companion there for me when the time comes. If you are worried about long-distance relationships, my advice to you would be that until you try it, you won’t be able to understand what it means for you and your partner. While it seems daunting, the thought of eventually being able to be together permanently in the future makes the sacrifices feel purposeful and the love feel stronger.