If your best friend lives a few miles away, a thousand miles away or continents away, you know the struggle of missing them. Here are just a few things to confirm that you and your best friend have a bittersweet long distance relationship.

1. The reunion is the best part.

Whenever you and your best friend go months or even years without seeing each other, it makes the next time you get to hang out or have a Skype date with them the best. Nothing beats seeing your long-distance best friend.

2. You never run out of things to talk about.

When finally reunited, it’s been so long since your last sit down conversation. The moment you two actually get to sit down and catch up, you could go on for hours. You have enough material to eliminate any sort of awkward silence.

3. You stock up on pictures together.

You never know when the next time is that you’ll be able to see each other again, so any opportunity you get to snap a quick selfie, or even a full body picture, you take it. Your hometown friends are basically photographers for the week.

4. You get to vent about everyone without worrying that what you say will leave their mouth.

Your long-distance friend most likely doesn’t know any of the people you’re talking about while venting, so it’s safe to say almost anything. It’s nice to know that what you’re saying is shared with a confidant.

5. You get to visit fun and cool places that you otherwise wouldn’t without your long-distance best friend.

In my case, Ohio. Who would randomly plan a trip to Ohio just because? I would, just so I could see my best friend. If it wasn’t for her, I probably would have had no desire to take a trip up to Dayton at least once a year.

6. You love explaining how you two met.

In my case, our situation is very funny. Most people are always curious how you have a best friend who lives hundreds and hundreds of miles away from you. Most of the time you have to take turns explaining the entire story because it’s such a frequent question.

7. You get to make new friends who you wouldn’t have met if it wasn’t for your best friend.

Let’s face it, you have at least 10 Instagram followers from your best friend’s state. You don’t know how they found you, but you can assume it was through your best friend's tagged pictures.

8. You love sending birthday and Christmas gifts through the mail.

There is no better feeling than knowing that your best friend will be receiving a gift from you in three to five business days.

9. You have a second family.

You feel super comfortable with their family almost as if you were their own - they basically consider you as their “other child."

10. You will always have a special place for them in your heart.

Nothing beats having a long distance best friend. The visits are short, but the moments are sweet. You still wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.