Over 300 hours on facetime and thousands of text messages later, I finally got to see him in person and give him the biggest hug for the first time in months.

Relationships are unique (duh). They come in all different shapes and sizes, but the most ideal one would be where both (or more) partners are loving and supportive of each other- of course, this becomes a lot harder to do if said SO lived 100+ miles away, or was abroad nearly 10,000 miles for a long time. The most common form of an LDR (long distance relationship), especially at our age, are couples that are separated for the summer, after beginning their relationship at school. It's hard and can be scary. This person who you've probably only just started seeing is now further than you can physically reach, and your only method of communication is through a screen.

However, as many have found out, this distance could actually be a really good thing. First, of course, is that it can kind of provide you with a clear head- perhaps you were just crushing on them too hard, and deliberately overlooked qualities that might be pretty bad problems down the road. Or maybe, you just realize that you aren't ready for a relationship at the moment.

If you both decide to stay together, you might find some rather positive changes that have occurred over the time apart, once you're together again. LDRs can create a kind of independence and trust within each other: whereas before the involuntary break, you might have found it difficult to do anything without thinking about your SO, or physically being with them, this period of time not spent together might have gotten you both used to do your own thing, while also being able to keep in touch and still know what's going on in each other's lives.

The willingness to enter into an LDR can say a lot as well. LDRs essentially have the word "commitment" painted all over them, and though I'm definitely not condoning entering one to "test" a relationship, if your SO seems willing and eager to try for one so that they can continue to be with you, odds are it's probably looking pretty good.

There's a lot of downsides to Long Distance Relationships, for sure. Get ready for lots of days and nights filled with frustration at your shitty internet connection, interruptions from friends and family, and awkward Skype sex (if you guys are into that kind of thing ofc), but too often, I hear so many people complain about LDRs and seem to treat it as a 100% evil thing. Sure, it might be a relationship ender, but sometimes, that might not be such a bad thing. And there's always a chance of it ending in you finding the one that's right for you.