How to Make a Long Distance Relationship Last

Love is…pretty amazing isn't it? You start to care about someone more than yourself. They become the most important thing in your entire life. You get all giddy and hopeful. Love is strange, but somewhat magical.

Love is also heartbreaking, hard, challenging, stressful, and can just be plain annoying.  This is especially true when you live miles away from that one person that makes your heart explode (in a good way of course haha). For some reason your stupid heart decided on a person that lives a billion hours away.

But the heart wants what the heart wants. And you wouldn't trade it for anything.

Instead of complaining how difficult a long distance relationship is, enjoy it! Sure, it’s not as ideal as you imagined a relationship would be. But it can be just as magical and beautiful as any other romance.

I have a somewhat ‘long distance’ relationship. Okay, it’s like a medium distance. Tauz and I live 2 hours away from each other. Which isn't that hard, but I have discovered a few awesome ways to keep that flame alive. I don’t get to see him when I want like a lot of people get to do. I wish I could call him and be like “Hey, you home? I want to come over”. WE have to plan EVERYTHING. What car we use, how much money is it going to cost for travel, when we should meet, where we should meet, should the other stay the night, etc etc. Basically what I’m trying to say is that I know how long distance feels. And it can get pretty crummy. But here are some tips to make it suck less.

1.       Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Did I mention communication? This is the most important aspect of any relationship . But it is especially true for a long distance one. If you aren’t talking to each other, then you are just two people who live far away. Communication is the whole point of a long distance romance. Here are ways to communicate:

a.       Telephone. A little old school but I always prefer this over texting. You can’t hear sarcasm over letters. Plus it’s comforting to hear their voice J

b.      Texting.  Not the best way, but it is still a good tool for talking.

c.       Skype. We are so lucky to live in a world with all of this technology. Seriously! We can talk to and see another person over a computer! Skype is the best way to communicate. Unless of course, your internet connection sucks. Otherwise it’s a free way to enjoy your lovers company.

2.       Trust. Obvious, but people forget about this one simple rule. You need to trust that the other isn't going to cheat on you. You may live far away but that doesn't mean they are going to cave and find someone better that lives closer. Trust that what you have is real, and make sure the other feels the same way. If they don’t, then what are they doing in a long distance relationship?

3.       Don’t stop the lust!  Just because you can’t hug, kiss, and do other stuff, doesn't mean the attraction has to stop. Skype is a wonderful tool to do certain things to keep the flame alive. You just have to be creative ;)

4.       Send Romantic Letters. Its a tad silly, but it can really make the other feel really giddy and happy. Letters just have a weird romantic feel about them. You get to write down your feelings without someone butting in! Haha. Plus it makes the whole long distance thing even more epic and romantic.

5.       Play Online Video Games. Find video games you can play together! This way you can still do something fun with the other person, and get stuff to look forward to. I recommend Minecraft J

6.       Watch Videos Together. How does one do this? Well, you both get on skype, and press play at the same time! That way you can watch a movie together, just like you would if you were together. Don’t forget the popcorn!

7.       Meet their Friends. Skype is used again in this tip. If they haven’t already, let them meet your friends over skype! It will then feel more like a real relationship :D

8.       Save some money. Yes there are ways to make a long distance romance feel more like a regular relationship. But you still have to make sure you see each other in person! Save up and buy that plane ticket already!

9.       Don’t Cheat. Just because it’s less likely they’ll find out, doesn't make it okay! It makes your relationship seem less important than a regular relationship. Which would make a long distance relationship kind of pointless.

10.   Be Honest. Not only with the other person, but with yourself. If the long distance relationship isn't working for you, it’s okay. It doesn't make you an asshole, or a bitch. It doesn't make you weak. It makes you human. This love is hard, trust me!

Leave any other tips in the comments if you have any :)