Long distance isn’t easy, but there are many positives to each negative it throws at you. My partner and I have been in one for one year and created 10 things that every Long Distance Relationship (LDR) goes through within their time apart.
1. Being tired from staying up
When you get a chance to speak to the one you love, you want to soak up all the time you possibly can with them. This then results in a lack of sleep, especially if you are both in a different time zone, making it exceptionally hard.
2. Trying to eat the same food at the same time
Being far away from one another can make date night near impossible and compromises are made. Sometimes you may try to eat the same thing to try and feel closer, but when one person is having dinner and the other is having breakfast, it makes your choices very minimal.
3. Taking the little things for granted
Holding hands, cuddling on the couch and watching a movie with some hot chocolate are a few of the little things couples take for granted. In a LDR, we have to try and sync our movies by pressing play/pause non-stop until the movie is in perfect synchronization or cuddle a pillow, which doesn’t have the same body warmth as your partner.
4. Missing out on special occasions
YES I SPENT MY BIRTHDAY WITH THIS GUY....BABY?
Birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas and Easter are a few of those special days that people in LDR can’t share together. Yes, they can FaceTime, Snapchat and Skype each other to share these occasions, but it is still not the same as being there in person. It is not all doom and gloom as there are known benefits, one of them being able to celebrate your birthday two days in row.
5. Your significant other turns into an electronically device
While on the other side of the country, or world, you find yourself talking, breathing and living with your FaceTime. We are lucky enough to live in a era where technology has grown.
6. You become a creative genius when it comes to your time together
Whether it is reading the same book, eating at cafes while using their Wi-Fi or generating fun dates that both of us can be involved in, it becomes a skill.
7. Your friends aren’t as supportive as you’d think
Yes, your friends are there for you and will give you a cuddle, but at the end of the day, they don’t truly understand how you are feeling at that exact moment. Even other LDR couples sometimes can’t fully fathom it, because each of our circumstances are completely different.
8. Picking up where you left off
Seeing each other in person becomes a very sentimental time in your relationship. You begin to appreciate how special and intimate these little moments are in your life, that you can share the small amount of time with your loved one.
9. LDR makes you stronger
If you get through this, you can get through anything as a couple, seeing the end of your LDR should assure you that you are able to grow and survive through the stress life throws at you.
10. Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Time apart allows your heart to grow more love and protection over the one you love so dearly. Your love for one another grows, even though you are miles apart. You believe that you could not fall deeper in love with each other, but are continued to be proven wrong.
It can be hard at times but know that you aren't the only ones out there going through the same thing. Stay strong and grow together, true love will prevail.
Lots of love,
Laura and James.
