Some may say, “hasta la vista!” to their significant other when studying abroad for a semester, but for me it was a little different. I was in a good relationship for a year and I was not willing to break it off for something that would just be temporary. This was extremely challenging for me, as it is a lot of other people, but I do have some suggestions for how to keep a relationship on good terms. For the 4 months I was overseas, me and my boyfriend survived the distance- and I bet you and your boo can too.
Before I left for Rome, my boyfriend and I agreed on setting boundaries. Boundaries are going to be different for every couple, but as long as you are on the same page about your limits this is important. My boyfriend, having already studied abroad, set very reasonable expectations that we both could follow. Having set these expectations before I left helped in the way that made sure I was not left questioning the terms of our relationship while abroad. The consensual knowledge to realistic terms is something you and your partner must agree on. If you cannot agree maybe reconsider your possibilities in staying in the relationship.
Time zone differences mixed with a decent amount of air traveling. Lack of cell service = lack of communication. My boyfriend and I decided that it was impossible to text every day and made note of this prior to my flight. It is important when studying abroad to decide how much communication is necessary for your relationship to withstand. I do not need a text a day, but some others may rely on this small form of reinforcement. When studying abroad you must keep in mind that there are many external factors to communication. You may have to sacrifice some sleep to talk to your significant other and be okay with that. If you want to get creative, something I did was send an email of cool highlight – a long heartfelt note explaining some things I did that day and awesome scenic pictures can go a long way. (A long way. Ha. Get it?)
When I was abroad I loved buying cutesy little souvenirs to send to my boyfriend. These things costed a euro or less and made me think of him. The surprise postcards and packages kept our relationship fun and engaging even if I wasn’t with him to open it. I loved receiving his surprises as much as he did mine. This is because, I’d come to realize, it’s the little things like that which reminded me of how special our relationship was.
After coming home from studying abroad my relationship is stronger than ever. We had a whole week to talk and exchange fun experiences we had when we were a part. Studying abroad was not only an enlightening experience for me personally, but it made my relationship stronger.
I hope it does the same for any couple.