I have had a few long distance relationships in my time, and I can tell you that some of them were worth it, and have met some great men. I will be the first to tell you that long distance is hard work, but anything in life that is good does not come easy. My good friend E and I were talking about this recently, and he said that long distance relationships are very sensitive and difficult. They take an enormous amount of effort. He said there has to be a happy medium and you lose out on the "real-time" companionship. On that note, I feel that technology makes long distance a little easier. With Skype and FaceTime, it allows for face-to-face communication. You get to know the person by talking to them and getting to really know them to know if they are worth it. It becomes more than physical. You always get mixed reviews from people. You will always have the friends who are positive and would be happy for you if you were in love with an antelope, and there will always be the Debbie Downers "wah-waah", who will be negative and discourage you. As you know, everyone has an opinion and it is up to you not to let those opinions affect your relationship. If you are in a relationship where you are a few hours away or a few time zones away, you are in a long distance relationship. If you both care enough for each other, you can make anything work. It's your relationship...enjoy.

Chemistry plays an enormous role, and I always say the heart wants what the heart wants, and some of the time you do not pick the person who lives next door. I have always loved to travel and have met the most amazing people in my traveling adventures, and when the person you love is your destination then that makes traveling to see them even better. Traveling to see them or traveling to new places together, you will find out if you still like them after a few days together. I know I have had the most memorable vacations with that someone special. Long distance makes the heart grow fonder and you have something to look forward to. You will value messages from your partner and have things to catch up on...no small talk. If you are like me and have always loved "me" time, you will never feel guilty. It has given me time to get to know and love me by finding out who I am by having my own life. It is easy to lose yourself in a relationship. In any relationship, it is important to remember you are your own person. I know you are thinking that if you don't see that person every day you can develop trust issues. Well, the truth is, you can have trust issues when you see that person every day. It is the experiences you have that build your relationship together and become better people.

No matter what situation you are in, if you put your heart and soul into your relationship, it can work and having a long distance relationship should not change that.

My advice, in a world where there are options and not enough time to do everything, be efficient with learning who you are. Find the person that is right for you no matter where they are. Find what works for you and what you are and are not compatible with. Everyone that comes into your life can enrich your life. Be honest, communicate and open about what you want and need, and distance should not change that. Life is short and there are thousands of cities...happy and safe long distance dating xo