Whilst many have the luxury of living within close proximity of your best friends, roommates, families, significant others, etc., some of us are constantly in long distance relationships. However, visits can be easily arranged through modern technology and transportation methods; and you can enjoy your time with your person for a while. The difficult bit is the roller coaster of emotions that comes with being re-separated, also commonly referred to as “separation anxiety”.
Stage one: Denial
When you’re newly separated from each other, you tell yourself that everything’s going to be okay. It can’t be too hard to go back to living your life the way it was before them, right?. Right. You can do it. Your heart will go on. You are a strong independent woman who don’t need no one to watch Netflix with. Plus, you don't have to worry about someone filming the weird dances you like to make when a show loads quickly.
You’re thoroughly enjoying your newfound independence. There’s no one to argue with about where to eat, what to do, what to wear, or when to get up. Bliss. However, whilst binge-watching your favorite show (again), there may be a moment where a character says something that reminds to one of your inside jokes. One of the inside jokes that you and your person share. You turn to laugh with them, but they’re not there... Whatever, you can just send them a link to the clip.
Stage Two: Anger
Perhaps they’ve responded to your clip with a mere “lol” or “haha.” How dare they!? You spent so much time and effort searching through the depths of the Internet to find this perfectly tailored gif, or meme, only to receive a short, curt reply in return. Have they never been taught to show appreciation? Ugh, rude. 
Oh, wait. They just responded with a link to another clip… Well, that's just three minutes too late.
Stage Three: Bargaining
This is perhaps the stage where you start to make plans to see each other again. Since they came to see you last time, maybe it’s your turn to go see them…. And thus begins the toils of finding a perfect time in both your schedules to cure your separation anxiety.
If only we were both free THIS WEEK.
Stage Four: Depression
With a concrete date in mind, you can start getting excited about seeing each other again. However: with great excitement, comes great impatience. The days leading up to your rendezvous appear never-ending; and this sense of hopeless could cause a sort of sadness.
The most common indicator of this stage is a sudden liking of—maybe even an obsession with— Thursday. There is a direct correlation between this newfound taste for Thursday, and the modern day phenomenon, #tbt, also known as “Throwback Thursday”. Thursday gives the person going through this stage a chance to post photos of the “good old days”, even they were only about a week ago.
Stage Five: Acceptance
After exhausting all your options of #tbt-worthy photos, you decide the only thing you can do is wait. Whether you’re waiting for your friend to visit from another country, or for your roommate to come back with takeout, you realize that it’s all going to be okay.
