No, you didn’t read the title wrong. Long distance relationships (LDRs) are hard and certainly not for everyone, but they aren’t impossible. Long distance relationships tend to get a bad rep, but I promise you that they aren’t all that bad.
If I could spend more time with my boyfriend, I definitely would. Being away from him is hard, but we make it through, just like every other long-distance couple out there. Experiencing an LDR for the first time has actually given me a lot of insight on things that make having an LDR worthwhile.
Relationships are generally wonderful and fun, and it can be easy to get completely wrapped up in each other. While that isn’t isn’t necessarily a negative thing, it can still be a distraction. In college, sometimes that can be detrimental. Most people can balance a relationship and school, but it isn’t always perfect. When your significant other isn’t on the same campus as you, it’s a lot easier to sit down and do an assignment. You can’t just put off doing work when you can’t get up and go hang out with them anytime you’d like. Basically, it’s a lot easier to put a majority of your focus on your education.
Likewise, when you aren’t constantly attached at the hip to your S/O, you both have a lot of room to grow as individuals. Often times, relationships can stunt individual growth. When you aren’t spending time 24/7 with your boyfriend or girlfriend, there is freedom to go out and pursue your own interests.
On a similar note, you can learn (or continue to be) more independent. It’s so important to be able to handle a lot of things in life on your own. In a long distance relationship, you can’t always rely on your partner to be there for you all the time. Sometimes that sucks, but it can really help you to understand that you can’t always rely on other people.
Everything I’ve mentioned so far has been pretty serious and are the benefits that really incorporate the life lessons you can get out of an LDR. With that all being said, there are other benefits that can really help you emotionally, and even strengthen your relationship.
When you’re in an LDR, the time and moments that you get to spend with each other are so incredibly important. I personally love planning with my boyfriend when we’ll get to see each other again. It gives us both something to look forward to, and it’s so exciting counting down the weeks, and eventually, the days. I just had the busiest week of my semester so far, and knowing that I get to see him at the end of the week really helped me push through (I wrote this article when I did to make the day go by faster, because I’m driving out to see him later today! Yay!).
When you finally get to see each other after time apart, it always feels extra special and exciting. You really learn to cherish the time you have together. I don’t care what we do when my boyfriend and I are together — being able to spend time with him is always enough for me.
When you don’t get to see each other as much, you learn just how much you mean to each other. As the old saying goes, “distance makes the heart grow fonder”. Being in an LDR can really strengthen any relationship.
To make a long distance relationship work, you really have to love and care about one another. Why else would you be trying so hard to maintain a relationship when you’re so far apart? It isn’t always easy and you’re going to miss your S/O terribly, but if you’re in an LDR, you might as well make the most of it!