It has been three years of my long distance relationship and in three months I finally have my baby back for good. Every single second of this relationship has molded my boyfriend and I into the strong people we are today. As the long distance is finally coming to an end I just want to give you all a few little pieces of advice that made my relationship so successful these past three school years.

• Don’t listen to anyone who tells you it’s a stupid idea:In college, you’ll constantly come across the people who say “why are you bothering” or “he’/ she is so far away”. Believe me when I tell you IGNORE those people. They will never understand your relationship or the sacrifices you make in order to make it work.
• Do not let the jealousy take over: I know that it is really hard being so far from your other half but you need to trust and believe that they are being faithful and honest with you at all times, always remember that if they didn’t want to be in a long distance relationship, they most likely wouldn’t be.
• Avoid pointless arguments: Fights in person are very different than fights via text, phone calls, or facetime. Pick and choose your battles; you will realize that not everything you would normally fight about in person is worth fighting about in the scheme of things.
• Have good communication: If you are fighting, make sure to get on Skype, OOVOO, or Facetime right away. I know that it’s not the same as being in person, but it’s as close as you’re probably going to get. Make the best of it, and do not just hang up when you feel things are getting out of hand, remember, if you were in person you wouldn’t be able to just hang up, you’d be there until the fight is resolved.
• Be understanding: That is one of the biggest things I’ve learned these past three years. Sometimes your significant other is out and you get upset they aren’t answering right away and 100 different thoughts run through your head, it's completely normal. Just take a deep breathe and know that the reason they probably aren’t answering is because they are in a pact space, they didn’t hear their phone, or their phone might have died. Your mind will be your worst enemy.
• Set times where you can call or FaceTime each other: FaceTime honestly got me through my relationship; to me it was one of the best inventions. My boyfriend is 217 miles away from me but when I am on video chat with him, it feels like he is right here.
• It’s really true what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder: I never believed this, but it is really true. Distance really shows how much you care for each other. When you spend time away, it really gives you time to miss the person and when you finally see them it is the most amazing feeling.
• The times you are together, cherish the moments: It's not as easy as you think to make trips to see each other, so when you finally are together don’t take it for granted, time goes faster than you think, even if it's for a few days, do memorable things and have fun. Remember, you might not see each other for a month or two after the visit.
• Set goals for your relationship: Something I learned was that when you set goals for your relationship it helps time go faster. “You graduate in a few months” “When were done with all of this we’ll take a nice vacation”, things like that really help with the distance.
• Always let your emotions be known: being in a long distance relationship is honestly a roller coaster ride, when you need to cry to your partner because you miss them, do it. Don’t hold your feelings in. If you are mad, sad, angry, happy, at peace, uptight, always share it. Your partner can’t read your mind but when it is known, they can do whatever they can to help make you feel better.