Being in a long distance relationship (LDR) has never been easy, and doing it during COVID-19 even less so. In my experience, all the confusing challenges of COVID-19 exacerbate the difficulties of a LDR. For instance, being able to count down the days until you see your significant other is a pretty crucial part of any LDR. Unfortunately, COVID-19 presents major challenges to that goal — from travel restrictions to moral dilemmas about exposing your loved ones to the impending dread of another “wave” of cases. The uncertainty in the future is one of the worst aspects of COVID-19 because it really deters making travel plans.
Another major drawback of a LDR during COVID-19 is enrolling in remote classes. As someone who goes to college with their significant other, taking classes remotely is not conducive to an ideal relationship. Obviously, we would both prefer to be on campus like any other normal year. But since this year is anything but that, our relationship has also had to accommodate these changes. Without being able to depend on the convenience of seeing each other everyday before or after classes, COVID-19 has really tested our ability to “hang out”. The drastic jump of our daily lives into the virtual world due to remote classes has made me more than tired of screens. However, since any LDR is dependent on those screens (i.e. through Facetime, text, phone call, etc.), communicating with your significant other becomes more droll and subject to the same monotony of everyday screentime. It also makes you miss your in person interactions even more because you’re not receiving as much in person time due to COVID-19.
The only brightside to dating during COVID-19 is that these challenges can strengthen your relationship. If you can handle the constant upheavals thrown your way, then any issues that arise in person seem less daunting. Being able to succeed in a relationship dependent upon what your phone can offer, especially during a time when it seems like we’re all glued to our laptops, really makes you appreciate the time you have to spend together.