Is a Long Distance Relationship Worth It?

Distance can put a strain on any relationship. Success depends on the good outweighing the bad or the bad outweighing the good.  If you have recently found yourself in a long-distance relationship or you are thinking about getting into one, here are a few pros and cons.
 
Pros

• You’re forced to be more
  creative: Distance doesn’t always have to ruin a relationship. It forces you to be more creative and find innovative ways to connect. You can use your creativity to send a hand-written letter instead of a text or send a gift from miles away.   
• Instant gratification: Be thankful for technology. Long before texting and instant messenger, long-distance couples had no choice but to write letters. Today, you have all the tools you need to interact in real time when you really need to talk.
• It strengthens your relationship: You can test your ability to have a stronger and more mature relationship. You improve communication skills and learn to be intimate without being physical.   
• It strengthens you as an individual: Being around your significant other is great, but when you’re apart you have more space to develop as an individual outside of the relationship. With that development you can be two strong parts of a stronger unit.      
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder: You might only see them a few times out of the year, but when you do, you never have to worry about being happy to have them around. If anything, this can make your love for each other stronger.

While the list above makes long-distance relationships seem a bit easier, it is still hard to forget about the things that make them complicated. I talked to Jamie Spinella, 20, and she gave me a few reasons why her experience in a long-distance relationship was so stressful.   
 
Cons

• Busy schedules: Sometimes it is hard to take the time out of a busy day to sit down and have a conversation or talk on Skype. “I found it mainly turned into a texting relationship,” said Spinella. “He would be busy and then I would be busy so we wouldn’t be able to Skype or even have time for phone calls.”
• It’s costly: The many ways to keep in contact can be a blessing and a curse—a curse to your wallet. “[…] it didn’t help that we had different cell phone carriers so after using all of my minutes it became expensive.”
• I didn’t mean it that way: You usually spend more time texting than talking which leaves more room for miscommunication. “With texting, I lost his tone of voice and I began to infer things differently than how he meant them […].”
• Skype just isn’t enough: Even though Skype can makes things easier, a webcam image can never be a substitute for seeing your significant other in the flesh.“[…]you lose that face-to-face contact that you normally have with that person,” said Spinella. “Skype can be helpful, but it’s not the same as seeing them in person.”
• A stable environment, a stable relationship: Having a long-distance relationship when you are going through many changes is tough and college is the perfect example.  “You really have to work at long-distance relationships and I think they can work depending on where you are in your life, how long you’re going to be long-distance for and how far apart you are.”

Don’t let this list be your only source of advice. It’s always a good idea to talk to people who have experienced long-distance relationships from personal experience. Whether you’re miles away or an entire country apart, it all depends on what works for you.