The idea of traveling for many individuals is a scary, but exciting one. Add your other half into the equation (who is being left back home for whatever reason!) and you will find yourself facing a long distance relationship. These are three words that so many couples dread to hear or even think of. But having done four months of long distance while living in Canada with my boyfriend in England (and another four or five months while I finish off my year abroad in France), I can speak from experience it really isn’t as bad as it may first seem.
So, I thought I’d share a few tips on how to not let long distance scare you off if you’re in a committed relationship.
Living in the 21st century: winning.
We live in a century where, let’s face it, technology is taking over! This worked in my favor during long distance, especially since text, Whatsapp, Facebook message, Skype, Facetime, Viber, etc, make everything so much easier! All of these means of communication can be crucial when you’re trying to uphold a long distance relationship, while simultaneously trying to live your life apart from your other half, wherever he or she may be
WiFi will also be your new best friend when you’re on the go and want to chat with your other half. While in Canada, for example, my friend and I were both glued to our phones whenever we got a bit of WiFi in the mall.
My top bit of advice is: Make sure you don’t end up Skyping or video chatting every day, because you will start to run out of things to say. This is totally normal, but definitely something to remember!
Continuing to live your life (finding a balance).
This one might sound obvious, but so many people put their lives on hold when they’re in a long distance relationship because they feel like they need to be available at any given moment, just in case their partner is free to talk. However, this is probably one of the worst things you can do. You really need to find that balance of going out, having fun and living your life, while still making time for your partner so that neither of you feel neglected. Don’t ever stop living your life for someone else. In my opinion, if your relationship is a healthy one, balance will happen naturally – you’ll want to make time for your other half and find out how they’re doing and what they’ve been up to.
Along with communication, trust is the basis for a happy long distance relationship.
There will always be people who put your relationship down or give you that oh-so-you-are-attempting-long-distance-ha-ha-good-luck face, but it is worth all the effort; my boyfriend and I haven’t really had any hiccups so far – knock on wood!
Skype your partner using SHOWME
