Being in a long-distance relationship can be hard. You only see each other every couple of weeks or months, you miss them all of the time, and you’re sometimes jealous of the relationships around you. But not all of it can be a downer. Here are five positive things that you get from dealing with the distance.

You grow as an individual.

Distance sucks, but it also give you the opportunity to learn a lot about yourself. It allows you to grow as your own person and creates a sense of self-empowerment. While you’re building your self-confidence, you’re also building a stronger bond in your relationship.

You get to travel.

Instead of always staying in the same town or area that you know and love, you get to experience new adventures that you may not have had before. Exploring new places is fun, especially when you get to do it with your person by your side.

You appreciate your relationship more than ever.

The saying “distance makes the heart grow fonder” couldn’t be truer. Being away from your significant other makes you appreciate the bond that the two of you have created. Not to mention, the excitement you feel when you do finally get to see them is like nothing else.

You learn how to communicate better.

Thank the lord for texting, phone calls, and Skype! By having to communicating through different forms of technology, you learn new ways to communicate. This cannot only be helpful in your long-distance relationship, but may also benefit you later on in life with jobs.

You both become stronger.

Distance takes a lot of time and effort and isn’t for the faint of heart. If you’re in a long-distance relationship, you become stronger not only emotionally, but mentally as well. Not everyone can do the distance, but if you find the right person, it makes it all worth it.