You know what infuriates me? When people say that Long Distance Relationships (LDRs) are impossible or stupid and are bound for failure. Yes, they are complicated. Yes, there will be fights. Yes, it is extremely frustrating when you just want to snuggle up with your partner on a rainy Sunday morning and watch movies all day.

But yes, they are so worth it.

I have personally been involved in a long distance relationship for two and a half years now. Out of those thirty months, only nine of them have been spent with my boyfriend in person. That's just under one third of the total time we have been dating. I am grateful for our relationship and love him to pieces, so of course I wish we could spend all of our time together. But at this point in our lives, we know that it cannot happen.

We both have things to do. I go to school in North Carolina, and he goes to school in Maryland. I am studying abroad, and he is playing college baseball and working towards his dream of playing in the MLB. Our relationship has been long distance for two thirds of the time we have been dating, so by now, we are used to it. Every day we miss each other and wish we could be together, but we both know and have accepted that our only option for now is to wait until the next countdown hits zero.

Being in an LDR requires a lot of different qualities in you and your partner as individuals and in you and your partner as a couple. As individuals, you both have to be trusting. Without trust there, it will be really, really difficult to make things work and go about your every day lives without each other. As individuals, it is vital that you firmly believe your partner will nothurt you. And if you don't believe in that, or are unsure of it, then being in an LDR isn't the best thing to do. It's important that if your partner goes out for a night of drinking, you aren't sitting 500 miles away wondering if they are out there cheating on you. Yes, there will be insecurities between the both of you but it is up to you to see past them and realize why you are in this long distance relationship in the first place. Trust is the glue in any LDR.

Along with trusting your partner, there has to be good communication. Communication is key in any LDR. Tell them you love them as much as you can. Keep saying "I miss you" over and over again, even though it gets repetitive. Tell each other everything about your day, from the boring classes to the walk to the grocery store. FaceTime as much as you can, but don't overdo it. Don't be one of those people who stays in their room every weekend to talk to their partner instead of participating in human interaction-related activities. You don't want your social life to end just because you miss your partner. There is life beyond your LDR, and you both should live it. Don't wish for your partner to miss out on experiences just because you can't be there with them. Support them in all that they do, and be right there cheering them on (via Skype).

This leads us into the next subject. LDRs are the worst thing you can experience, but also the best thing, because they teach the both of you to be in an independent relationship. What is an independent relationship, you may ask? I made up this term on my own. It sounds awful, but I swear it's not. My boyfriend and I love each other very much, but we are both individuals. We are not that couple that doesn't know how to live without each other, because living without each other is all we ever have to do. It makes being away from each other easier, because we know that every time we're apart, we have something so incredible to look forward to seeing again.

Do I love being in an LDR? No. Of course not. I miss him all the time when we aren't together. But I know that I will see him again. It isn't the end of the world, and if you are really serious about your partner, there is a lifetime of happiness ahead of you two. Not only is there a lifetime of happiness, but you two will be mentally and emotionally more stable than those couples who spend every waking moment of their time together.

When you spend all of your time with your partner before you get married, you may eventually get sick of them. This isn't always true, but it happens a lot. Being in an LDR, it's impossible to get sick of your partner, because you don't see them enough. When the time finally comes and you do get to see them, that time together is absolutely priceless. Just know that you are not alone. Many couples all over the worldgo through long distance relationships, and many of these relationships aresuccessful. Send cute care packages, mail your partner letters, have FaceTime dates, and remember that it is only temporary. If you love your partner, it will all be worth it in the end. It isn't easy, it takes a lot of patience, love, and loyalty; but is absolutely not a set up for failure, not stupid, and definitely not impossible.