It’s often said that distance makes the heart grow fonder. As someone currently in a long-distance relationship, I can certainly attest to this. My boyfriend and I started dating this past July, right before I moved over a thousand miles away to attend my freshman year of college. It’s also often said that the right thing will find you when you are not looking for it, which is exactly what happened here. I certainly was not looking for a relationship right before leaving for college and so I was very surprised when my boyfriend and I confessed our feelings for each other, knowing I would be leaving and decided to give long distance a shot, coining it as the “better option.” Some of my friends tried to convince me that this was not a good idea, that long distance never works. Long distance is hard and requires a lot of effort, but seven months later, my boyfriend and I are still going strong.
Even though I am happy to be in a relationship with my boyfriend no matter the distance, I can see that it is not for everyone. My boyfriend and I have to schedule phone calls and Facetimes around our busy schedules, our miscommunication and fights are blown out of proportion because of not being able to talk things out in person, and I miss him so much it hurts sometimes. It is hard to be in a relationship when you are unable to hang out in person and with a lack of physical contact. Others are afraid of their significant other cheating because of the distance between them and the inability to be physically present with the other. For a long distance relationship to work, the two most important things are communication and trust. My boyfriend and I are open with each other about everything and have a strong foundation of trust that was formed by being friends and knowing each other for a while before dating. This trust is essential in a long distance and in any relationship. The ability to communicate openly and honestly and a strong foundation of trust are necessary to a long distance relationship.
With the Coronavirus pandemic coming up on its one-year anniversary of lockdowns and quarantining, many couples have been forced to go long-distance. With college students not being able to attend school on campus, they are having to live at home and away from their significant others. Many couples have not been able to see each other in months. Whether the pandemic was occurring or not, my relationship would be long-distance, because he lives in my home state and I attend college in New York. The pandemic has still affected us through the cutting of spring breaks, which means we will not be able to see each other until May. This is a sad reality to accept, but for me being in this relationship is worth every second apart. The idea of being able to see him all summer makes the time apart worth the wait.
Long distance relationships are a lot of work, a big commitment, and for many couples, the breaking point. However, I find it rewarding and gratifying to see that my boyfriend and I value the other so much that we are willing to make sacrifices and put extra effort into making our relationship work. Long distance is never easy and the pandemic has put extra stress, pressure, and difficulty on many couples. If you asked my boyfriend and me if we still maintain that this is the “better option,” we would both fully agree that being together but apart is much better than not being together at all.