Ah, love.
One of the most powerful human emotions, one that neither time nor distance SHOULDN’T be bounded by, but what happens when circumstances like college force it to?
Long distance relationships, or LDR for short, are typically an unfavored option for many couples, and as someone who just left high school a short few months ago, I’ve witnessed how many of these long-distance relationships play out in college.
*Spoiler alert*: It usually doesn’t end well.
Even the adorable high school sweethearts – homecoming queens and quarterbacks alike – are usually determined to preserve their love past the moment graduation caps are thrown, but realistically, it’s hard to make things past the first month of college.
In my own opinion, if you are thinking of entering a LDR, it’s important to remember that relationships are built on plenty of intimate connections, including touch. With such a huge obstacle preventing couples from engaging in those intimate moments, many feel as though the love is also blocked. Not only the physical aspect, but without the presence of their significant other, one may begin to feel symptoms of withdrawal. Just imagine, transitioning from being able to lay next to, smell, and go on dates with your boyfriend/girlfriend to only managing snaps, phone calls, and the occasional Facetime, if your schedules coincide. You can’t see them when you’re having a bad day or want to celebrate a special moment between the two of you. Eventually, you get tired of trying, tired of missed calls, tired of lack of physical chemistry.
I’m reminding you this because you JUST left high school. You no longer have to ask to use the bathroom in eighth period or be home by your parents’ curfew. You have a newfound freedom. But for some, their LDR is a reminder, a ball-and-chain of sorts that still holds them from moving onto the next stage of their life. I’m only saying LDR’s can’t work if this situation applies to you.
It’s really simple: If you feel like your relationship is holding you back, ditch it. If you feel like it’s a good entity in your life, keep it around.
Of course, not ALL long-distance relationships are so doom and gloom. There are plenty of couples who really go the extra mile for one another (pun-intended).
The distance acts as a test of sorts, as a trial and tribulation to see if a couple is really, really devoted as they say. If both parties are willing and committed, the result can be a lifetime of love for the both of them. It’s all about whether you want to take that risk or not, whether you and your partner will see each other through the end, no matter what.
You have to follow your heart and do what is best for you, whether that means breaking off that high school romance or dropping money on plane tickets to go see the person who is most important to you.
With that being said, you’ll never know where love is going to take you.