Many people are scared by the idea of a long-distance relationship, but the truth is, it doesn't have to be hard, complicated, or scary. For me, my long-distance relationship has been the best thing to happen in my life, and I wouldn't change it for the world. As a disclosure, my boyfriend and I began our relationship as long distance which eliminates the challenge of leaving someone after months or years of being together, however I do not believe that it invalidates my personal perspective on the beauty of a long-distance relationship. I believe that as long as you always have future plans to be together, whether it be a small trip like visiting during a long weekend or a larger plan like moving in together, long distance relationships can be smooth and easy. The other crucial aspect of making the best out of the less than ideal situation of being in a long-distance relationship is that there is a dual and equal effort with love and support flowing from each side. Of course, I would prefer to be in the same place as my boyfriend, but given the circumstances, we have created what I consider to be the perfect relationship while living worlds apart.

My boyfriend and I were introduced by my grandmother and his mother while I was visiting my family in Mexico where he lives. We met just three days before I was leaving back to the United States to start my spring semester of university. We went out for dinner at a beautiful restaurant on a lagoon, sitting around a table in a little palapa surrounded by glistening water reflecting the moonlight. For us, it really was love at first sight and we spent every last minute together until the time finally came that I had to go to the airport and board my flight back to the States. I was head over heels in love, but the reality that we were both attending university in different countries still remained. I had no idea what would become of this movie-like romance I had just experienced.

The weird thing was, while I was concerned about the distance between us and how we would make it work, it never crossed my mind that the distance would actually be a barrier, and it hasn't. Obviously, it can be hard not being able to see each other for months at a time, but we take it day by day and ultimately our connection continues to grow stronger. And no feeling could ever beat the happiness that rushes over me every time I get to see his face in person when he picks me up at the airport after months spent apart and the euphoric feeling I get being wrapped so tight in his arms knowing we will get to spend an amazing week or month together.

When I arrived back to the states after the first days we were together, we Facetimed for hours—all night—until we both fell asleep. We did this again and again and we continue to FaceTime for hours at a time and fall asleep together on the phone. Of course, there are times when we can't talk when we're busy or studying and it will feel like I haven't seen him or talked to him in forever, but every time I get to hear his voice or see him it more than makes up for all the time spent apart.

People often ask me about our relationship and how we make it work, but the truth is, it just does. Long distance shouldn't be hard. It's not ideal to be apart for so long at a time, but I wouldn't trade my relationship for anything. As long as we always have planned the next time we get to see each other it's easy because I always have something to look forward to. Being apart during our studies has also allowed me to really focus during the time that I'm in school, not only on my studies, but on self-care and self-love as well which should never be overlooked-whether or not you're in a relationship. The ways we have found to work around the distance also allows me to let go of all of the stress of work and studying when I'm with my boyfriend, so we can just focus on each other and being in the moment, creating the happiest moments of my life.

Long distance relationships are not always easy and do not work for everyone, but my goal in sharing my experience is to show that they don't have to be difficult. As cheesy as it sounds, relationships are about love and support and being there for one another. For me, it doesn't matter how far away we are knowing that there is someone out there who loves and cares for me more than anything else in the world that will always have my back. Anytime that I'm stressed or overwhelmed, his voice telling me that everything will be okay is all that I need to feel better. That level of care and support is what being in a healthy relationship is all about. It's not about physically being together all the time, but about always thinking about each other and loving one another no matter where we are. I often wish we lived in the same place instead of worlds apart, but the long distance between us has never scared me, and it shouldn't be a barrier to your relationship either.