When people hear the phrase “Long Distance Relationship”, they immediately think they could never survive being apart from their significant other. I never imagined being in a long-distance relationship, and contrary to how I expected my life to be, I am now dating someone long-distance. He happens to be in the military, but all long-distance relationships share common characteristics. For my boyfriend and me, we were lucky to have over half of a year together before he enlisted, but there was definitely an adjustment period to transition from a civilian relationship, to a military or long-distance one. I was very reluctant for the change and almost resistant to the transition.
Nonetheless, as my boyfriend and I have adjusted to our new circumstances, I’ve found plenty of reasons to appreciate the long-distance instead of resenting it. I know eventually we will be able to live together and close this distance permanently, but until then here are twelve of the many reasons why I am now thankful for my long-distance relationship.1. Teaching me patience
Anyone in a long distance relationship (LDR) knows the waiting time between when you see your significant other is excruciating. The days drag on, and the long days seem even longer. Sometimes weekends are boring because your friends are busy and your boyfriend is away, and you end up home with no plans. But it is all worth it because it makes the reunions so much more special and unique. Waiting for that first hug after so much time apart is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. I’ve gained a lot more patience since my boyfriend left for the army, and I think a lot of people my age will not really understand that type of sacrifice until they are much older. It has forced me to grow up faster, and I am a stronger woman for it.
2. Allowing me the opportunity to travel
Because of my LDR, I’ve been able to see parts of the USA I never thought I would see. I am very thankful to be able to travel through this beautiful country to see my boyfriend. When my boyfriend is away on leave, we are also able to go on trips and vacations to celebrate his homecoming and our reunion. We are always planning new trips, and most of my money is spent on plane tickets!
3. Making every journey and interaction exciting
As mentioned before, my LDR gives me the opportunity to travel. It is awesome to visit new cities and towns with him and explore new areas. It is always exciting to be reunited again, and every kiss feels like the first one all over again!
4. Giving me butterflies every time I see my boyfriend
I’ve heard many couples young and old say they don’t feel butterflies when they kiss their significant other anymore. I don’t think I will ever have that problem because I am always so excited and nervous to kiss my boyfriend again every time we are reunited. The distance gives us a different type of appreciation for each other, and each kiss and embrace is definitely not taken for granted.
5. Giving me awesome Instagram photos
Okay, this one may not sound as deep as the others, but I am an avid user of Instagram. I LOVE photos, and it is so great to be able to document all of our travels and memories digitally. Each photo is a little reminder of our amazing journey.
6. Showing me what military life is like
I don’t think a lot of Americans, especially young people, understand the military life and what our service men and women really do for our country. I’ve always had a patriotic spirit and an appreciation for our armed servicemen/women, but seeing and being engulfed in military culture has given me a new perspective and appreciation for our armed services.
With our many travels, there is always a new restaurant to try! My boyfriend and I love to eat, and it is adventurous to be able to pick a new restaurant every night we are together in a new town or city.
8. Creating everlasting memories
My relationship with my boyfriend has given me a collection of memories that will last me a lifetime, and we’ve been together a year and seven months so far. I would never have guessed my relationship would end up being long distance, but the memories we’ve created in just this short bit of time are worth every minute we have to spend apart.
9. Making every reunion a reason to celebrate
With the long periods of distance, or in the case of the military, limited contact as well, every time my boyfriend and I are together it calls for a celebration. What we made is through another chunk of his enlistment, and we are one step closer to closing the distance when we can finally live with each other.
10. Always giving me something to celebrate
I plan my months around the times I get to see my boyfriend. Every Orbitz flight or hotel I book, I start my countdown app until I am able to hug my boyfriend again! It adds to the excitement of our relationship, and it is total motivation to keep pushing hard through school and work. All of that hard work pays off when we can finally be with each other and relax.
11. Allowing me to chase my dreams while my boyfriend chases his
As weird as this might sound, the distance is sometimes beneficial. Being a double major is hard, and my boyfriend’s training is very challenging – physically and mentally. We both have a lot of outside commitments to schooling/training, and our jobs, so it is sometimes nice to be busy and push towards our own goals, while supporting each other. This also helps pass the time in between seeing each other a lot quicker, and we are each other’s biggest support systems!
12. Teaching me how to trust and love whole-heartedlyTrust is a fundamental part of every relationship. My boyfriend and I were lucky to have time before he enlisted to build a relationship, and with the distance it has taught us what trust really means. Although each of us are far away from the other, we have learned to love whole-heartedly and without doubt. When you begin to doubt the relationship or each other, that is when people form trust issues. My LDR has taught me there is no room to mistrust because each person is affected by it.
Although long-distance relationships don’t seem ideal to some people, it is possible to have a successful and exciting love life with someone who lives far away. There is so much to learn when it comes to having a long-distance relationship, and one of the greatest motivators is knowing the distance isn’t permanent, and one day you will be able to enjoy all of the privileges of having your significant other home with you.
