Long distance relationships can be absurdly strenuous. They can also be incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. It is said that three million Americans live apart from their spouses, according to Crystal Jiang, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong.

According to a 2005 report, up to 50 percent of college students are in long distance relationships. In a country where you need to be wherever there is employment available, long distance relationships are slowly but surely becoming the norm. Here is what you need to know about long distance relationships:

1. You realize you're not doomed.

Since it is becoming the norm, long distance relationships, even those more permanent of scenarios than others, aren’t destined for failure. In fact, your trust in one another improves because you rely on functional communication.

2. You realize Skype and FaceTime are your best friends.

In long distance relationships, communication is key (and crucial). Texting, phone calls, and weekly Skype sessions are imperative in most long distance relationships. In a world of FaceTime and the ability to feel like you’re in the same location as your loved one, long distance becomes just a little bit easier, if only for an hour.

3. You realize goodbyes don't get easier.

The actual concept of not having that person you love with you throughout the weeks may get easier, but the goodbyes definitely don’t. You learn to live without each other every day, but saying goodbye until the next visit, phone call or Skype session is still a difficult task, no matter how long you have been doing it.

4. You realize your relationship’s worth.

There is nothing greater than being able to reap the benefits of hard work, especially when that hard work is shared with a person you love. Weeks where you are able to spend more than a few days together, vacations and holidays are all made a little sweeter when you realize the amount of work that goes into long distance relationships. You realize how much your significant other means to you, and how much you mean to them.

5. You learn to value your time together.

When you are together, you learn to value that precious time and not let petty arguments ruin it. Time is cherished, therefore, your time spent together is pretty darn spectacular.

6. You grow up.

It takes more than an ounce of maturity to make a relationship, let alone long distance, work. You finally mature and realize you and your partner are worth the hard work, time, and energy. Growing up has a bright side and it is called a healthy relationship.

7. Your relationship inevitably becomes stronger.

You don’t just put exhausting amounts of work into a relationship you don’t care about, so while you are in a long distance relationship, your partnership surely becomes stronger. When you have a relationship built on trust and respect, it is hard not to feel proud and grateful. And that, my friends, makes it all the more worth it.

They are your best friend, and you can't imagine life without them. What is a little distance to stop you? Relatively nothing.