I have been with my boyfriend for almost two years now. Back at home, we live less than three minutes away from each other. But with me in Pittsburgh and him in Philadelphia, our daily hangouts became few and far between, limited to breaks when I can come home. Surprisingly, I am not alone in this feat; many of my friends are also in long-distance relationships, and I have grown to appreciate long distance. I will be giving my tips and tricks if you are struggling with long distance, or planning to be soon, as well as my two cents on why I love long distance so much!
Now, you might be wondering why on earth I would appreciate long distance when I can only see my boyfriend over fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas break during my first semester. I think being in a long-distance relationship is so important because it gives you both the space you need to grow individually, while also growing together. It also makes the times when you do see your significant other so much more special and worthwhile. Obviously, long-distance is not ideal, but if you are embarking on a long-distance relationship, it is so important to make the best out of it!
Now…here are my tips on how to make long-distance easier and enrich your relationship!
- Always know the next time you are going to see them
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This may sound easier said than done, but if possible, it makes a world of difference. Getting to plan out when you are going to see each other next gives you both something to look forward to, and helps to make the weeks in between less difficult because you know in X amount of days you get to see each other again! Knowing that I would be home for Thanksgiving break, my boyfriend and I were looking forward to this, and it gave me motivation to get through my exams. Also, we planned out activities to do together so that our time could be enjoyable and memorable! I understand that circumstances may prevent you from knowing when you will see each other next, but I think that this is a great way to make the weeks easier.
- Have a daily activity to look forward to
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Every day my boyfriend and I play ALL the New York Times games. Getting to call him and play Wordle, Connections, Strands, etc. is sometimes the highlight of my day. I know that no matter how busy I get with studying, at the end of the day, we will get to indulge in this activity, regardless of how much or little we can talk otherwise. My tip: plan your FaceTime calls with each other. Know that you will get to talk every night at 10 pm, or whatever fits your schedule. This gives you both something to look forward to and a feeling of consistency in a reality of hectic college schedules.
- (Virtual) date nights
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Something that I think is so important when it comes to long-distance relationships is making time for each other outside of your usual FaceTime calls so that it feels special. Something that my boyfriend and I love is virtual date nights where we will watch a movie or a show together by screen sharing Netflix. I love this because it allows us to make time for each other and connect over an activity that we would normally do together! Some other ideas for virtual date nights include making playlists for each other, trying a virtual escape room, or having a dinner night.
- P.S. A visit never hurt anyone (if feasible!)
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My boyfriend recently visited for Halloween weekend, and it was so much fun! If possible, visiting each other or even surprising your significant other is a great way to show appreciation for them and enjoy a spontaneous weekend together while seeing a slice of their life.
Those are my tips for long-distance relationships! I hope that these can help you enjoy and make the most out of your time apart while looking forward to being back together!