Plain and simple, it's hard.

My boyfriend and I are long distance, and we frequently live on opposite schedules. Visits are far and few in between, so holidays spent together are that much more special.

However, with our conflicting schedules, we don't get to spend many holidays together. Holidays are tough on anybody who's missing someone in general. Also, if you're like me, being at home away from your college life literally depresses you. I hate saying it, especially because I love my family and my dog to pieces, but being in my hometown mentally and emotionally destroys me. Granted, that's another story for another day.

There are several ways to make the holidays a little easier if you'll be without your significant other this year.

You can celebrate early or late depending on when you can arrange a visit. This isn't ideal (trust me I know) but it's better than nothing and you'll still get to celebrate together.

You can develop your own way of celebrating or start a new tradition together to make it special, even if you can't be together physically. For example, you can arrange to FaceTime at exactly midnight so you are the first to celebrate the holiday with each other.

Send them a surprise! It can literally be something as small as having dinner delivered to their house one night (maybe not the holiday, but you get the point). It lets the person know that you're thinking of them and it's more comforting than you'd expect.

Hopefully, with a few tweaks, you can make the holidays not so glum this year without your S.O.

It isn't easy, I know, but eventually (and ideally) you won't always have to spend holidays apart, so this is only temporary!