Long distance relationships (LDR) occur for many reasons and have various benefits and drawbacks.
You may be in a LDR because:
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Anyone who’s ever been in a long distance relationship is aware that loving from afar can be extremely difficult. On the other hand, LDR’s can also have numerous plusses. In order to ensure your relationship succeeds you have to make the most of the good stuff and learn to deal with the bad as best you can.
Benefits
Disadvantages
Must Haves
There are certain tools you can incorporate into a long distance relationship to make for a smoother more romantic love from afar. These include:
National/international text Most prepaid and contract plans offer texting as part of their monthly fees.
Texts are a great way to keep in touch throughout the day for pennies a message.
Phone calls, texts, letters and emails are great ways to keep in touch but there’s nothing like laying your eyes on your honey and hearing their voice in real time. And Skype is absolutely free! All you need is a computer and a webcam. Gaze into your love’s eyes and avoid outrageous phone bills to boot?! Can’t beat that! Not to mention all the urrr, unmentionables, you can do on Skype.
To download Skype go to: www.skype .com
If you travel frequently to visit your sweetheart, you should take advantage of incentive programs like frequent flyer miles, travel points and hotel programs.
Priority customer services like free upgrades, early check-in and extra night stays make travel more comfortable, enjoyable and cheaper!
Keep The Romance Alive:
When physically together, words are not always necessary to show your affection. A loving gaze, a quick caress or simply holding your honey’s hand can portray how you’re feelings without a single word passing between you. When far away from the one you love, these quiet exchanges aren’t possible but fear not! There’s plenty of ways to express your love and let your sweetheart know you’re thinking of them. Here’s some fun suggestions that will keep your love feigning:
Alternatively, if you don’t want to send real flowers, you can design a vase full of flowers with a card to be delivered via email at: http://www.flowers2mail.com/
Share time and Have fun together:
You can only talk for so long before you start running out of things to say! Use your imagination and keep your relationship fresh and interesting to avoid falling in to a rut. Add some spice by doing something different every now and then. Here’s a few suggestions to help avoid the LDR blues by keeping it light and having a good time together:
Join Netflix (about $10 a month each). Choose a movie together the day before to be delivered to both of your doors or choose an instant watch movie on Netflix or a free movie site.
Buy some popcorn
Give your love a task to do that will keep them thinking about you all day. For instance, have them take a picture of themselves acting frightened by something they come across like a spider or large dog. Another idea is to request they snap photos of letters from different places spelling out your name or a short message, sending them to you one by one.
If you have an unlimited phone plan, talk on the phone right before bed. When you both get sleepy say goodnight and lay the phone on your pillow. You’d be amazed how sweet the sound of your loves breathing at night can be to a longing heart (unless they’re a chronic snorer of course!)
To do this on Skype: turn out the overhead light and place a small light two or three feet behind the screen, facing towards you. Slip into something sexy (or not), watch each other slip into slumber and dream sweet dreams together.
Mad Libs are a fun word game many of us played as kids. You can find many different free Mad Libs that will keep you laughing and enjoying the night together at: http://www.wordlibs.com
There are several free virtual communities you can join where you and your love can create your own fantasy world. Build a home together, design and decorate your environment, stroll along the beech, dress up and go to restaurants, museums, night clubs and different cities together. Some sites even offer adult situations for couples. Try a few sites until you find one you both like:
Date night:
Schedule a date for one night a week. Find a time when you can be alone with no interruptions and spend a dreamy evening together.
Go online together and choose a recipe you both will like. If possible, bring your laptop or other device into the kitchen and have fun cooking together. Light some candles and set a romantic table. Share a glass of wine or two. Have fun and see where the night leads!
Buy or mix your favorite drinks, get some bar snacks like buffalo wings, pretzels, sliders etc., and pick a name for your bar. Get dressed for a night out. Turn on the music, throw back a few, chat, laugh it up and pretend you’re spending a night on the town. No need for a designated driver, at the end of the night just say goodnight and crawl into bed.
Long distance relationships take lots of love, trust, imagination and hard work to be successful. Whether your separation is short lived or long term, it is likely you will encounter some hard times. Be patient with each other, don’t jump to conclusions and think things through before you speak. Expect road blocks and interruptions. Don’t take everything personal, you live separate lives in separate places, maybe even in separate time zones. Your schedules may be different. Don’t expect your time together on Skype, phone, IM to always go off without a hitch, or void of interjection from the world. Try to find time when you are both alone with no expected intrusions but don’t get angry or upset when life crashes the party from time to time.
With lots of love, if you’re meant to be together, you can make it work!
Author: Jeannie Wraight
