Long distance sucks. I'm not going to sugar coat it for you. Whether you've had experience with it before or not, it doesn't get any easier with each go. It can be incredibly easy to point out all of the hardships that come with being away from your significant other and to dwell on them. Your emotions are heightened because you don't have your security blanket with you as much as you usually do, and there isn't that motivation to get dressed up every once in a while either. But we've got to remember to look at the glass half full as much as we can.

1. You don't spend as much money going out to eat.

Let's not kid ourselves here. It is so much easier to convince yourself to go out to eat when your best friend agrees with the notion, right? That's pretty much how it is all the time in my relationship. We gas each other up on the wisdom from Parks and Rec. that taught us all to "treat yo self" every once in a while. Except every once and a while turns into every day, multiple times a day. My bank account cries for some peace.

2. You have more time to focus on your own tasks for the week.

Personally, I like to "mom" my boyfriend a lot more than I probably should. I'm always nagging him to do whatever chore I overheard his mom reminding him to get done, and making sure he's had his healthy share of water for the day. I text him even when I'm not with him to assure that he's eaten the right amount of food for a six foot tall man, and not settled for pop tarts and frosted flakes (again).

3. Family time becomes your first priority.

I like to think I keep a pretty good balance between boyfriend time and family time, but I am only human. I'm young, and as cliche as it is I have him on my mind all the time. Any chance we get to spend together we both jump at which can sometimes leave our families on the back burner.

4. You have so much more time to rekindle friendships with your friends at home.

Since we have finally made it to the glorious summer season, that means that most of us have ventured back home. Not only do we get to see our families, but we also get to reunite with our hometown homies. (Let's pretend I didn't just say that). We can go back in time to senior year for a minute when assignments were nonexistent and meals were always hot and ready on the table when you got home.

5. You remind yourself that your identity is not within someone else.

This can sound harsh if you've never heard it so straight-forwardly before, but it is an essential piece of every relationship. It is the most unhealthy thing to place your identity in someone else entirely. You are who you are because you have created yourself to be that person. God gave you life and a series of choices throughout it, some easy and some difficult. You have gotten this far from your own strength and perseverance, so to let someone else hold your fire within them is not okay.

6. You don't have to shave every day.

This one is more for my girls, but guys this can apply to you too. It can be comparable to Chinese water torture to have to shave every day. The constant grooming of ones underarms and legs becomes like a second job, and can tire you out like no other. Instead, you can wear your favorite ripped jeans and sleeved shirts and no one would ever be the wiser.

7. Eventually, they are going to come back.

Days can seem like weeks, weeks like months, and your heart can threaten to burst with each passing second. But fear not, the good ones always come back. This time won't last forever, and odds are that your relationship will be stronger because of it.

All in all, your mood droops a little when you are in the midst of a long distance relationship and any positives that may apply to you seem so far out of reach. However, its wildly important that you remind yourself of all of the good things that come from it too. While there can be more bad than good in some cases, you have to celebrate every tiny victory and long distance relationships have quite a few.