2000 Miles? No problem
By: Beth Mello
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Opinion
Thanks to modern communication tools, long distance relationships are quickly becoming almost as easy to maintain as any other relationship. In fact, long distance relationships have potential to last longer than non-long-distance relationships. Consider for a moment that new relationship feeling, when you are just a bit shy, still get butterflies while getting ready to see each other, and still think his weird habits are a little cute.
Now imagine feeling all of the above with your significant other of a couple years. This is the benefit of long distance relationships nowadays. Moments are cherished that otherwise wouldn't be, such as in couples who see each other practically every day. The romance stage in normal relationships diminishes, but the seemingly newness in seeing each other in a long distance relationship keeps that romance alive.
The difficult part of being in a long distance relationship is keeping it alive while there is distance between you. This is where the communication tools come into play. While some people may think Facebook is to thank, they are wrong. While being amazing for keeping in touch with friends, Facebook does quite the opposite for relationships. The truth is that texting is the main source of connection between long distance lovers.
The key is to make the other person in your relationship feel as if they have been part of your day, and feel like they know what has been going on. This must be maintained every single day. The best way to do this? Text your butt off of course! The more detailed the texts are, the better. "I'm sitting in the CUB eating with Ben and Julie. That girl that only wears pajamas is behind us, so weird! lol." Simple, right? That's all it takes, and it is so easy.
Some other helpful forms of communication are picture messages and Skype. Picture messages essentially have the same function as text messages do, allowing the other person to see what you can see. Picture messages can also be helpful when your loved one misses you, but that's a whole other story. Skype can serve as a way to be a little more personal, because text messaging can be quite impersonal at times. Webcams allow people to hear each other's tone of voice and facial expression, and non-verbal communication that can't be picked up on through text messaging.
Most long distance relationships are temporary, only apart for school or something like that. These means of communicating help, and suddenly it doesn't seem so ridiculous to have a boyfriend back home until you get there. New Mexico and Rhode Island might be over 2000 miles apart, but there doesn't need to be distance.
Now imagine feeling all of the above with your significant other of a couple years. This is the benefit of long distance relationships nowadays. Moments are cherished that otherwise wouldn't be, such as in couples who see each other practically every day. The romance stage in normal relationships diminishes, but the seemingly newness in seeing each other in a long distance relationship keeps that romance alive.
The difficult part of being in a long distance relationship is keeping it alive while there is distance between you. This is where the communication tools come into play. While some people may think Facebook is to thank, they are wrong. While being amazing for keeping in touch with friends, Facebook does quite the opposite for relationships. The truth is that texting is the main source of connection between long distance lovers.
The key is to make the other person in your relationship feel as if they have been part of your day, and feel like they know what has been going on. This must be maintained every single day. The best way to do this? Text your butt off of course! The more detailed the texts are, the better. "I'm sitting in the CUB eating with Ben and Julie. That girl that only wears pajamas is behind us, so weird! lol." Simple, right? That's all it takes, and it is so easy.
Some other helpful forms of communication are picture messages and Skype. Picture messages essentially have the same function as text messages do, allowing the other person to see what you can see. Picture messages can also be helpful when your loved one misses you, but that's a whole other story. Skype can serve as a way to be a little more personal, because text messaging can be quite impersonal at times. Webcams allow people to hear each other's tone of voice and facial expression, and non-verbal communication that can't be picked up on through text messaging.
Most long distance relationships are temporary, only apart for school or something like that. These means of communicating help, and suddenly it doesn't seem so ridiculous to have a boyfriend back home until you get there. New Mexico and Rhode Island might be over 2000 miles apart, but there doesn't need to be distance.