You don’t believe in long-distance relationships, and that is probably because they have never been a part of your life. You have never had to go to an out-of-state school, and you have never lived far from your friends. No, I am not just talking about relationships with a significant other. I am talking about friendships as well.
Keeping any friendship takes effort, and you decided that distance made the effort seem unbearable because you “don’t believe” that long-distance friendships work. For you, long-distance friendships have always been optional. You have never attended an out-of-state school, and your friends all live reasonably close to your own home. For others, long-distance is not an option. Out-of-state students cannot change where they live, and they certainly should not have to feel guilty about something that is out of their control. A person who has always dreamt of traveling should not have to view their dream job as an obstacle.
You will never fully understand the constant struggle of distance until you experience it and learn to accept it. Attending a school far from home means that you make friends from all over the place, which can be exciting. However, there is a constant feeling of loneliness that threatens to tear apart everything about you. While at school, it can be a struggle to keep in touch with friends back home. While at home, it seems almost impossible to stay close to friends from school. At first, there does not seem like a place where you feel like you truly belong, but this feeling doesn’t last forever.
Dealing with distance means that you learn more about yourself than you ever thought you could. You learn to stand on your own. The meaning of independence has never felt so empowering. It seems like you can accomplish anything without relying on someone else. True friends will stand by you and support you, regardless of their location.
Yes, long-distance relationships are hard to keep, but so are all relationships. There are benefits to them, though, that you should realize before giving up on them so fast. There is no feeling that compares to reuniting with a long-distance friend. Every moment with that person is precious and priceless. Distance can even give you space to focus on yourself. Friendships and relationships are strongest when after you've learned to become the best version of yourself that you could possibly be.
Those who believe in long-distance relationships cannot change the way you think or live your life. No matter how much we endlessly try to explain how worth it those friendships are to maintain, it is up to you to realize this. But, those of us who deal with distance relationships on a day-to-day basis will assume that we were pretty meaningless to you if you are willing to abandon our friendship based on distance. We will continue with our lives, even though we would rather continue with you by our side. We are in the age where communicating with people all over the world is easier than it has ever been before. Don't use distance as an excuse for a failing friendship.
Maybe you formed this hatred of long-distance relationships because people always warn you to avoid them. It's understandable that not being able to see someone frequently is frustrating, but the time that you have with that person should make up for the frustration. It's time to stop making excuses for why long-distance relationships don't work. The only reason they "don't work" is because you're not willing to try.
