Not many people want to go into their freshman year of college in a committed relationship. Balancing trust, distance, and the fear of not getting the full “college experience” makes dating in a monogamous relationship difficult. Love, trust, honesty, and openness are tough when you are in a long-distance relationship because you know you’ll only see each other during breaks, which are never long enough. It is even harder when your significant other isn’t attending college or living at home. For those of you who are in a committed long-distance relationship, here are some good reasons to thank your “other half” for:

Thank you for taking my phone calls, text messages, and FaceTime regardless of the time of day or night. It was hard loving you through these communications and seeing you on my laptop screen, but I knew that it only made the time we saw each other that much better.

Thank you for dealing with the absurd amount of “I miss you and love you” texts. Missing someone gets easier every day because, even though you are one day further from the last time you saw them, you are one day closer to the next time you will.

Thank you for putting your trust into me. I know it isn’t easy, especially on the weekends when we have a lot of downtime, but we made it work.

Thank you for taking long car drives/plane rides to see me even if it is only for two days. Although the time is not long enough, the memories last a lifetime.

Thank you for sending me letters and care packages for birthdays, anniversaries, and just "thinking about you." The sentiments, trinkets, and cards brightened my day more then you could imagine.

Thank you for accepting my irrational plans of driving six hours each way to see each other for four hours. Your smile, laughter, and willingness to make forth the effort make me love you even more.

Thank you for loving me regardless of the distance, because distance means so little when someone means so much.

Yes, long-distance relationships aren’t for everyone. It is hard not to see someone for weeks or months at a time and keep the relationship strong. But if you are lucky enough to find the “right person,” you will know the feeling of complete faith and trust in one person knowing that they won’t cheat or break your heart. It’s the late-night Skype sessions and phone calls that make everything worth it. I promise you that the moment that you finally get to be back in each other’s arms, it will be completely worth every day you’ve spent apart.