“Love will travel as far as you let it. It has no limits.” -Elle King

Our society today has a fear of long-distance relationships. Ah yes, even those very words can make anyone cringe. Especially those of us who have adventured into the stage of our lives where everyone we know is splitting off on different paths. The group of friends you went to every high school game with is now spread across the entire state or country. You will no longer see your crush every day after fourth period. These are scary things, I know. But there is a silver lining to it all.

When I talk about relationships, I’m not just talking about the clear cut, Facebook official stuff. In fact, I’m not here to talk about them at all. A relationship encompasses all styles of interactions: your best friends, acquaintances, family members, classmates, summer flings. Those small-scale relationships are always overlooked and rarely discussed. They shouldn’t be deemed unimportant, because distance alters them too.

We’ve all had that friend we spend way too much time with. Suddenly hanging out with them every day becomes a chore and you find yourselves arguing rather than confiding in each other. Your relationship is tired and doesn’t give you that comfort anymore. Unfortunately, this has happened to me multiple times. But I’m here to tell you I survived it all and those relationships that were pulled down by consistent interaction now flourish in the light of separation. I still talk to those friends every day, but now that college, school, and bills are our priorities, we save our conversations for upbeat catch-ups. They have become our escape. It may seem like you aren’t devoting enough time to your relationship, but that’s okay. That’s what you should be doing. Those relationships will add zest to your life rather than being the only thing your life revolves around, which, in turn, makes it much healthier. It will also make the few times you get to see each other more cherished.

Another scenario is the summer fling. You know, the ones you see in music videos where you fall head over heels in a couple of days but that fantasy is cut short by the call back to reality. This also brings in the factor of distance of time. Yeah, we always confront physical distance, but what about emotional distance? What about memories? The answer I have for that is to be realistic. Write down those memories, pull up those pictures every once in a while, but some things were meant to be kept in the past. Some interactions were meant to be a resource for you to look back on when you’re experiencing a bad day. They were made for that warm, fuzzy feeling. I know they seem so far away at times, but that distance will be your inspiration to recreate that feeling in your everyday life with your everyday routine. This summer was the best summer of my life because I made so many amazing memories. I always found myself in the right place at the right time, and this summer will be something I carry with me forever. That being said, I know this summer will never happen again, and instead of being bitter about it I choose to be thankful that it happened in the first place. Distance in the form of time is all about having rosy recollections rather than living in the past.

My last piece of advice for you is to use social media to your advantage. We are blessed with the technology to keep tabs on all of our friends, family, and acquaintances. Like their pictures and show your support. For more serious relationships, make an effort to text them or call them to check in. Social media is one of the keys to making sure you’re still in each other’s lives. Some friends I met this summer live on the East Coast and we all make an effort to follow each other on Instagram. Our lives seem connected and the distance seems less intimidating that way.

Please, please, please don’t be afraid of enduring distance. Everything happens for a reason, and your separation can make or break your bond. That distance will show you who is meant to be in your life and who isn’t. Trust it with all of your heart.