The Truth About Long-Distance Relationships

Life is truly a journey that we are constantly moving through. In the course of our (hopefully) many years on Earth, we as people typically go through a wealth of various experiences, and as a result live in various places throughout our lives. While this is definitely a great thing for our overall personal growth, it can certainly be problematic when you are trying to have a relationship with another person, and the ebbs and flows of life can conflict with the desire to always be with one another physically.

This is known as a long-distance relationship, and is very common amongst younger couples who are still trying to live out their life to the fullest, or at the very least aren’t ready to fully settle down yet. If you love someone but are seemingly forced into a long-distance situation, it is always tempting to assume that you can make the relationship work. However, it is important to be honest with yourself and realize just how difficult long-distance relationships can be.

For example, many couples seem to cling onto the idea that “distance makes the heart grow fonder”. And to a certain extent, that can be true – but only in the short-term. After a while of not being with each other physically, and trying to get by with phone calls or video calls even, the distance leaves one or both parties with a void that they need to remedy. In some cases, this will just be a matter of taking a break with their loved one so that they can focus on the rest of their lives, with the hopes of revisiting their relationship once they are back in the same zip code. And in more extreme cases, one of the parties may even end up cheating to help fill that void. But in both cases, the relationship is forever altered and even if the two people reconnect later on in life, it may be too late to salvage anything further than a platonic relationship, at best.

Couples who are staring down a long-distance relationship in the near future also rely on the fact that the distance will only be temporary, and that they will be together again and can just jump back into where they left off. But life has a way of changing people, and in ways that you may not even expect. And when those changes inevitably occur, the two people may reconnect and realize that they aren’t suited for each other any longer.

In short, long-distance relationships are tough. Although more than half of long-distance relationships do reportedly succeed, that number isn’t necessarily comforting given the known challenges that come with the territory. However, if you truly want a long-distance relationship to work, all you need to do is put in the effort, in particularly by maintaining the physical connection that is present with more conventional relationships. Make a real effort to actually drive out or fly out to your significant other regularly, so that you can not only see them face to face, but so that you can spend quality time together and create lasting memories that will help sustain the relationship. In fact, you should do your best to visit each other as often as you can, which obviously depends on things like you budget or your schedules.

But if you really want a long-distance relationship to last, that effort needs to be there. Relying on phone calls and video calls may feel like it is sufficient, but in reality that form of connection only delays the inevitable. If you maintain a solid physical presence in your partner’s life, even while you are otherwise many miles apart, your long-distance relationship will be all the more positioned to not just last, but actually thrive!