Ah, Valentine’s Day. You either love it or hate it, and there really is no in-between. For those who are in a relationship, it can be fun to have an excuse to go on a romantic date and exchange presents. For all my gorgeous and confident single ladies, the closely correlated ‘Galentine’s Day’ and the aftermath discount candy aisle are the highlights. Regardless of how you celebrate your Valentine’s Day or even what you think about its arguably cliché nature, I personally would love to be able to celebrate in person with my boyfriend.
But… there’s a catch.
The only way I will be celebrating this Valentine’s Day is with an oh so romantic FaceTime while doing some sort of homework or studying. Why? Well, for starters, my significant other lives 411 miles away. The other factor that contributes is that Valentine’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year, so a trip isn’t feasible.
While I am here studying journalism at the University of Maryland, my boyfriend Aaron is studying journalism at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. We have been dating for quite some time now, and we both agreed when we went to college that we would try our hardest to make the best of our situation.
Aaron and I aren’t alone in our struggle. According to research, nearly one third of long distance relationship (LDR for short) couples in America are college students.
It can be hard to be a long-distance couple, especially with the stigma surrounding the concept itself. Many people believe that they are pointless and put a strain on your emotions, eventually leading to the inevitable breakup. That doesn’t even mention the fact that everybody seems to know somebody who had an LDR that failed miserably.
It seems as though our culture tends to want to give up something genuine at the slightest inconvenience; I wonder why it has become that way. Sure, there are reasons long distance relationships don’t work out other than the separation itself, which are completely understandable and super uncool: cheating, lying, emotional abuse, etc. However, I am a firm believer that if a love is healthy, supportive and promising, then it is worth fighting for. Sometimes, circumstances just can’t be perfect. You can still love and care for somebody even though you are pursuing your future career in different locations.
I am very fortunate that Aaron tries to visit one to two times a month, and we make daily communication a priority. For Valentine’s Day, we are going to embrace the space. There are many ways to create a close connection from afar: sending gifts or letters, doing activities together via some form of video chat or a belated celebration entirely.
You really shouldn’t use Valentine’s Day as the only annual excuse to be extra sweet to each other; it is always emotionally rewarding to make your partner feel special as often as possible, regardless of the date.
While Valentine’s Day or any other holiday may be less than ideal for any LDR, keep the faith and try to remain positive! Relationships take effort, but if you can balance everything and still maintain a positive connection, then you can tackle anything you set your mind to.