The first thought that usually comes to mind when people think of long-distance relationships is, “I never want to have to do that with my partner.” Which is a valid statement, but if you are in university (like the majority of us) or your partner’s job requires them to travel a lot, then long-distance becomes a part of your relationship whether you want it to or not.
We’re going to get a little personal, seeing as the majority of those who read this have no idea who I am, but my boyfriend and I have been together for 2.5 years. Two of those years have been in completely different provinces. For the past 2.5 years, one of us has been in Alberta and the other in BC. The only time we are not long-distance is when I am home for the summer. In all our time together, we have been long distance, and we’ve made it work because it’s all we know.
The one thing I’ve learned from long distance is that communication is key. Whether its phone calls, skype, facetime, Snapchat, or texting, as long as you are communicating, you are going to be okay. Long-distance is also possible because of the number of outlets we have to talk to people; its not just a phone call, there are so many options to stay in contact with each other. Now there are days when sometimes you both are so busy that you never have a chance to actually sit down and talk to each other, but even then, a simple good morning/night is better than nothing. I believe that my relationship has gotten stronger because of long-distance. You can’t rely on the physical connection with your partner when you in different provinces or maybe even countries. Your relationship is going to become way stronger emotionally when you are doing long distance, and so will your connection to each other. When you get to see each other again, it’s like you never left in the first place.
The one other thing I will mention with long-distance relationships is the fact that the giddiness of seeing your partner for the first time in a while never goes away. Whether you’ve been gone months or weeks or maybe even longer, you still get the butterflies in your stomach when you see them in person, and it is an amazing feeling.
Don’t get me wrong, long-distance sucks, but, if you’re with the right person, then it makes it all worthwhile. If you put in the work and make plans to see each other as often as both of your schedules allow, then it will feel just as rewarding as if you were living with each other.