AYL: Surviving an LDR

illustration by Juho Choi

There are many ways a long distance relationship could form. You and your beau may have been separated by the choice to attend different colleges, or perhaps you met at college but suffer from living far away over holiday break and during summers. Perhaps the distance is brief — say, a semester abroad — or lasts throughout all of college and maybe even longer. Whether you are separated by a three-hour car ride or a 10-hour flight, there is no reason to give up hope in the relationship. Here are some tips to keep the spark alive.

Communicate

The most important part of any relationship is communication. This is especially crucial when distance is involved. Keep in touch regularly via text, phone calls and video chats.

Focus on yourself

Being far apart is both a blessing and a curse. While the curse is that you are away from your love, the blessing is that you definitely have the extra time and space to focus on yourself. Join a club or two and take advantage of your free time by forming new friendships and discovering new interests.

Think happy thoughts

It can be easy to fall into a slump of negative thoughts about the relationship when you’re so far apart. Instead of sending an angry text about feeling down and out about the distance, try to think of the good memories you have shared and how there are so many more yet to be made. You might find yourself feeling a lot more cheerful in spite of the circumstances.

Set a date

Even though you and your significant other can’t physically take each other out to dinner and a movie, thanks to the internet you can mimic a real date online. Pick a time you both are free and watch a movie together. Order in pizza and have a virtual dinner date, chatting over the phone. It might not be the real deal, but it's as close as you can get. As an added bonus, you don't have to share your food!

Share the little things

While in normal relationships, partners tend to know the details of each other's daily lives. However, in a long distance relationship, you might notice that you tend to share less. Try to share little happenings of your day with your significant other to make them feel more included, it’s also a great conversation starter for when the crickets start chirping.

Long distance relationships are certainly not for everyone. At times they can be draining, stressful, frustrating — you name it. But when you and your beau get to see each other again, it’s so worth it. In the meantime, try to enjoy school and cherish those around you. The college years end quickly, and so will the distance between you and your partner.