This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Western chapter.

Being away from your significant other for an extended period of time is never ideal, but when you’re in the position of a long distance relationship, focusing on the negative is not an option—not if you want to make it work. Obviously, both of you must have equal amounts of trust and respect for each other in order for an LDR to succeed, but having the right mindset is the hidden key. I, myself, have been in a long distance relationship for the past six months and here are some of the pros I have encountered along the way:

1. Goodbyes are only temporary

Having to leave behind your person is never easy. And yes, there will be lots of tearful goodbyes but you have to remember that these goodbyes do not last forever which is a much easier pill to swallow than if you had to say goodbye for good.

2. You prove your commitment to each other

Commitment, in general, can be an issue for many. An LDR tests your commitment to each other and truly highlights the amount of trust and stability in your relationship.

3. Patience is a virtue

LDRs are a bit of a waiting game; waiting to see each other, waiting to do cute couple things with each other, waiting to do other things, need I go on? All of these things will allow you to perfect what your parents attempted to instill in you as a child: patience.

4. Visits are so much more special

You’re not just going over to your SO’s house like you do every other day. You’re actually going to be with them in person which is a rarer occurrence for those doing long distance.

5. First hellos are the best feeling ever

This is another perk about visiting each other. That moment when you get to run into each other’s arms and hold each other tight is quite possibly one of the best feelings in the world. Anyone who has experienced this knows exactly what I’m talking about.

6. You don’t take each other for granted

I’ve watched and experienced many relationships fall apart due to partners taking each other for granted, which is devastating; you should never take a loved one for granted. Yet people who are constantly around each other sometimes forget why they started spending time together, and that can be toxic for any relationship. However, when visits occur less often, you don’t have time to take each other for granted because you’re too busy cherishing every moment together.

7. You’re more spontaneous

As I’ve said before, visits tend to be more special when you’re in an LDR. This means that couples tend to make the most of their time together by going on dates and making lots of new memories—things that couples who see each other every day may not take the time to do as often. You can also send your SO surprises in the mail or do little things to make their day, even though you aren’t there.

8. You have something to look forward to

We all love having something to be excited about. Whether it’s a vacation or plans with friends, it helps motivate us to do more monotonous tasks, such as studying or work, so that we can get to the fun stuff. Why not add one more thing to your list of things to look forward to?

9. You have more time to focus on school/work

Speaking of school and work, things like this require lots of time and effort which can be difficult to afford if you are constantly hanging out with your SO. So even though it sucks that you and your partner are far away from each other, at least now you can focus on the important tasks at hand and possibly have more free time to do other things.

10. You prove that you can be independent while in a relationship

Often times, people will throw themselves into a relationship and lose their sense of self in the process. There’s nothing wrong with being invested in your relationship, but if you start to stray from who you are and only focus on being part of a couple, you will risk sacrificing your individuality in the process. In an LDR, you still have time to be an individual and hold on to those aspects of yourself. An LDR truly teaches you how to balance being independent and being in a relationship at the same time.

11. You learn a lot about yourself and what you can handle

Even though I am taking a positive approach to LDRs, I know they can be very challenging. However, your ability to overcome these challenges will teach you a lot about yourself and, as a result, how much you and your relationship can handle. The more you and your partner learn to overcome these challenges, the easier it will be to overcome future issues as well. Being in an LDR will teach both you and your partner important communication and problem-solving skills that will help you last.

12. If you shave regularly, you have an excuse to take a break for a while (or stop shaving altogether—you do you)

There’s no better feeling than being lazy for a while and not having to worry about the little things like shaving your legs and other tedious, time-consuming forms of self-maintenance. Let yourself go a little, sweetie, and enjoy unkempt freedom for a while.

13. It’s nice to know that someone misses you

We all love being loved and it’s great knowing that someone somewhere is thinking about us. If you’re in an LDR, you can guarantee that you’ll be on your SO’s mind just as much as they are on yours. Hello, butterflies and sweet daydreams that save you from early morning calculus classes.

14. You won’t neglect your friends

This may very well be one of the most important pros on this list. No one likes a friend who ditches them all the time for their partner! But having a partner who lives far away from you, as much as it sucks, makes it a lot easier for you to make time for the other people in your life. In turn, friends end up being great distractors if you’ve ever got a case of the LDR love bug blues.

15. You get the chance to prove everyone who said it won’t work out wrong

Last but not least, it is so important to have faith in yourself and in your relationship. If you think you and your partner can make it work, then odds are you will! Don’t let others tell you otherwise, even if their advice comes from a place of love and care. As a result, being able to flaunt that, yes, your relationship survived long distance, feels pretty freakin’ good.

There you go, 15 reasons why long distance relationships aren’t so bad after all! Don’t let a little distance stop you from being happy because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

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15 Pros of a Long Distance Relationship