The facts about long distance relationships, which I included in this post, are all based on personal experience. My husband and I lived in two different countries for more than a year before my big move. Being in a long distance relationship is a rollercoaster ride that puts to test your mental, emotional, physical, and (YES!) financial strengths. Here are seven undeniable facts about long distance relationships that I picked up from my experience:
If you ask me which among all facts about long distance relationships I dislike the most, I would say it's the cost that goes with it. Phone bills, airfares, accommodation, and everything in between all add up to that ballooning cost that ate up our monthly paychecks. Long distance relationships are expensive especially when you are decided on meeting on a regular basis.
Or any video chat application convenient and efficient for both of you. In our case, it was Skype, Facebook, and Yahoo! Messenger. My husband used to ask me this question several times: "How on earth did people survive long distance relationships thousands of decades ago?" My answer: "Pen and paper. And they were more patient then..."
What else do we need to talk about? Two people in a long distance relationship have the tendency to update each other of what happened in their lives on a daily basis to the point where there is too much familiarity that may cause boredom. It can be boring especially when you only see each other on that screen that sometimes, freezes or hangs up due to poor internet connection.
But boredom shouldn't be a deterring factor for you to build a great relationship. One thing that my long distance relationship taught me was that it requires unlimited dosage of patience. You wouldn't be with the person if you don't love or care for him/her, right? Patience, my dear, patience. You need loads of it.
Because you are not physically together, you come up with several ways to surprise him/her or to make him/her feel special. My friend who's based in the US orders lunch online for his boyfriend who's based in Singapore. Thank heavens for technology and debit/credit card. My husband would send me bouquets of roses and greeting cards when I was living in the Philippines and he was based in China. He wrote me love letters everyday, while I would send him audio files of me reading my love letters to him.
If trust is an issue for two people who are physically together, what about for two individuals living on separate continents? For a long distance relationship to work, you have to trust your partner. Have faith in both of your sacrifices in keeping the love burning even when you are thousands of miles apart.
Because what's the point of being in a long distance relationship if you can't be physically together in the end? There has to be that end goal to be in one place together at a certain point in time. Either you move or he/she moves, but that decision has to be made. Personally, I don't think that a long distance relationship should go on if there is no plan for you to stay put, together, in one place in the near future.
Overall, being in a long distance relationship needs a lot of hard work. You put in more energy to make the relationship work. It can be both exciting and frustrating but trust me, you will gladly look back on these days and smile at what a journey it has been all in the name of love. What do you think about long distance relationship?