There are all different kinds of relationships but a short-distance and long-distance relationship are the two that define most couples. There are two different types of people. Those who believe, "Out of sight out of mind," and those who think, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder." I used to be the first one. I used to think distance couples don't last because you don't think about the other person as much when you're living separate lives in different cities.
My boyfriend and I started long-distance. He lived in Fort Lauderdale and I lived in Tallahassee. The seven-hour commute was not an easy one, but we made it a few times to see each other. Then he moved up for a job that was only two hours away from me.
This past summer, I moved over to Panama City Beach to live in the same city as him and experience life together and it has been one of the greatest gifts of our relationship. To spend a year and a half as a long-distance couple and then live five minutes from each other makes you really appreciate each moment together.
Yes, I used to be out of sight, out of mind, but distance really does make the heart grow fonder when you truly love the person. To go through the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, in the beginning, makes you realize whether or not you want to be with the person. It takes a lot of communication, a lot of effort, and a lot of understanding to make it work for so long, but it is not much work when you care for the person in a selfless way.
When you want to make sacrifices for the other person and do it with a happy heart, that is when you know how much you love the person. Doing long-distance was not fun, but now living five minutes away from each other allows us both to understand how important each other's presence is and how much we don't want to take it for granted. I will say that distance has helped us build a strong foundation for any rocky roads that we will cross in life.