Q: As a college student, how do you maintain intimacy in a long distance relationship?
You have to make an effort to use weekends either through meeting with each other or facetime and playing games or movie nights. Covid-19 has shown us that there are multiple ways we can communicate through long distance, so just use the same tools and put in effort. It also helps that we both value quality time. You should schedule time for each and be excited to meet each other. There are times where one of us blatantly flirts and the other blushes, butgo out of your comfort zone to make a person laugh.
Q: What are some boundaries that you set that you believe are important in a long-distance relationship?
Some of the boundaries I think are important to have is that immediate texting is not realistic, and communicating about plans for the day or a general idea helps to feel that you are still in each other’s day to day life. Also, if you are going out, communicate that with the people who you are with just to maintain and keep that trust as well as for personal safety. Other boundaries are personal to your own needs: don’t just think about the long distance, but think about what your boundaries are in a relationship – the same boundaries apply.
Q: What are some things you do that don’t make the conversation go bland?
Saying random questions – again be flirty and out of your comfort zone or be intimate and deep with your conversations; want to get to know them more.
Q: How do you communicate through disagreement that you can’t do in person?
You truly have to make an effort to not go to bed angry or shut off all communication. It’s hard, but you have to be conscious of that. Be open and honest about how you feel because sometimes it is not easily conveyed over distance. Realizing tone is important and that you need to call and not just text. Learn how you prefer to communicate with each other and how your partner prefers to communicate, and find a middle ground that works best for everyone. Listening is very key as well because you need to understand your partner’s point and their footing on said disagreement.
Q: What is your favorite activity to do when you meet up?
Watch a movie, sit there, just be there with each other, and chill. Go eat or go shopping to spoil each other. Being very cute and suffocating with each other.
Q: How does it feel going back and forth, leaving them and meeting them? Does it get exhausting?
It is not as hard now as it was in the beginning because getting caught up with our own schedule meant we didn’t make time. But it is 100 percent hard to leave because there is that time where you leave them and you are on your way back. I think it is worth it though because it just creates a balance between my relationship and my individual time. Also, I grew up with my partner, we have at least three months to ourselves, and we know each other’s family background. Overall, you have to decide if the relationship makes you fulfilled; if not, leave it, and that is just an overall general advice for everyone.