Long-distance relationships are both challenging and rewarding. Not only will it test your relationship, but it will challenge you as an individual to be independent and survive without your significant other by your side through all that life throws at the both of you. Here's a cheer to the highs and lows of long-distance love.
1. You’ve memorized time differences.
Any arranged time to talk on the phone or Skype is usually followed with the question “my time or your time?” After a short amount of time doing long distance you’ve learned to convert the time differences in your head faster than it would take Google to give you the answer.
2. There will be times when you can’t talk.
Between finals, work and family, there are going to be days -- and sometimes weeks -- where communication is pretty limited. Even when you’re stressed and you’ve only gotten two texts from them today, just knowing they still love you and you’ll be able to talk to them soon is almost as good as chugging a 5-hour energy drink to keep you motivated and on track.
3. Skype becomes your best friend.
Skype is the equivalent of going on a fancy date night in a long-distance relationship. It also involves a lot of unintentional Adele quotes such as “Hello, can you hear me?” and “Hello form the other side, I must have called a thousand times.” Despite the inevitable video freezes and dropped calls due to subpar Wi-Fi, just the chance to see your significant other’s face and smile and see them laugh is enough to make the night special.
4. You develop an intolerance to needy couples.
You become the party pooper of pity parties. No, I don’t want to hear you miss your boyfriend who you haven’t seen in three days and how it’s been such a struggle, and yes I will give you the stare of shame until you realize how needy you sound.
6. You rack up frequent flyer miles.
As much as you’d like to visit your significant other across the country every month, your bank account will shut down that dream pretty quickly. On the other hand you’ve become pretty savvy at finding the most economical flights even at the last minute.
7. The month before and after visits are the best and worst times of your relationship.
Finally being able to countdown the days until you get to see your partner in crime is the most exhilarating and exciting feeling in the world. It’s like being a kid on Christmas, except your gift is halfway across the country. On the other hand the moment you two separate and have to return to your respective geographic locations, it will be heart breaking and will make you question why you have to go through this emotional roller-coaster many more times before you can finally be together.
8. You fall in love again and again with your significant other.
Every visit is like the honeymoon stage; you fall in love with your partner over and over again and realize how amazing they truly are. The simple things like how they smell, the way they laugh, the way their hand feels in yours, and just being in their presence is something that Skype, phone calls or text messages will never be able to capture. Even though you may be in a whole other country or across the country or a few states away, once you are with your person you feel at home.
9. You know this is only temporary.
One of the most common questions you usually get asked is “When will you two no longer be long distance?” and most likely in your head you’re thinking “Not soon enough.” Having an end plan of when the distance will end is the light at the end of a tunnel, it is the motivation to push through the difficult times, knowing that it will all be worth it in the end wherever you two end up. One day when you’re with your significant other in one place you’ll look back and be grateful for the experiences you had tackling long distance and how it has made you stronger, both as a couple and individually, throughout the journey.
