COLUMN: Long distance relations are difficult, not impossible

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“Forget it, just dump him.”

That was sentence splayed across the June/July 2010 issue of Seventeen magazine, in an article dedicated to discouraging long-distance relationships in college, and as a girl about to enter into such a union, I was understandably disheartened.

Thankfully, I did not take their advice and now as a one year veteran of a still very successful long-distance relationship (LDR for short), I offer you the advice that I wish I would have seen instead.

First things first: Establish a healthy line of communication between you and your significant other. No relationship is perfect, but in a LDR, those less than perfect days can turn serious quickly if one partner doesn’t feel they can verbally communicate with the other. It is also important to remember the dangers of over-communication.

When your significant other is not around, it can be tempting to send a text every five minutes, but avoid this at all costs. It can quickly lead to pressure and agitation. Keep daytime texts to a minimum, and you will have more fulfilling conversations in the evening, guaranteed.

Even within a relationship built on excellent communication, the days between planned visits and school breaks can pass slowly. To fill the voids left in your schedule by your significant other’s absence, join an activity on-campus, or enroll in a class that you feel will challenge you.

I’ve saved the most fun bit of advice for last. Just because you and your significant other are miles apart, there is no reason why the two of you shouldn’t still have dates. Creativity is the key. In lieu of going out the movies, what about watching something together on Netflix? Instead of going to the fair, what about playing a game against one another online?

With modern technology, the possibilities are endless. Just don’t run up your bandwidth like I did!

An LDR is enough to get anyone down, but it is important to remember how much you have. You and your significant other are young, you’re deeply committed, and you’re in love! What could possibly be better than that?

Best of luck to all of the other Skype air-kissers out there. Thanksgiving will be here before we know it.