How to Survive a Long Distance Relationship

The Internet, email, chat rooms and cell phones all help to make long distance relationships much more common these days. But they don’t make long distance dating easy, by any means. Here are some tips to help make your relationship work.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Telephone
• Computer with Internet access
• Web cam
• Paper
• Envelopes
• Stamps

1. Make up your mind to commit to the relationship completely. Long distance relationships are hard enough. They’re pretty well impossible if you’re indifferent about the person on the other end of the phone line.

2. Set a date for the next time you will see your partner. If you know when you’re next going to see each other, it will make the time in between seem that much more bearable.

3. Make any necessary arrangements for the trip, such as booking time off work, buying bus or plane tickets.

4. Try to have some form of contact most days. Even if you just send a text message to let him know you’re thinking of him, it will help you both feel more connected.

5. Every now and then, go the extra mile. Write her a letter or send a card. Even make up a parcel of small gifts or newspaper articles from your city paper to remind her that you’re thinking of her even from miles and miles away.

6. Send some fun emails to each other. Fill out and forward an email questionnaire about yourself, and get him to do the same in return. It helps you find out more about each other in a relaxed way.

7. Try communicating by instant messenger. You can almost have a proper conversation and it’s free.

8. Consider investing in a web cam, if you don’t already have one. It allows you to see each other and can help you to feel like you are almost in the same room.

9. If you live in different countries, research the cheapest ways to communicate by phone. International phone cards may be a good way to call, or there are a number of Internet phone packages.

10. Recruit friends to help you. They may find it hard to be supportive if they have never met your loved one, so consider encouraging them to email her or speak to her on the phone when she calls you.

Tips & Warnings

• Give the benefit of the doubt. It’s easy to jump to the wrong conclusion when you’re so far apart, but more often than not, there will be an innocent explanation.
• Be patient. If it’s good, it’s worth waiting for the time you can be together--and this time gives you a great opportunity to find out more about each other. If it’s not, then it’s not worth the fuss.
• Make sure you get on as well together in person as you do over the phone or by email. If you don’t, make sure you’re not kidding yourself about the long distance relationship.

[michelle86]

on 7/16/2008 I made this LDR survey/poll. It lets you compare your LDR with others. Includes questions about how many miles apart you are, phone calls, frequency of visits, and how many of us worry about our bf/gf cheating while we're away. Here's the link http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/347366