Whether you are in a committed relationship or your childhood best friend has moved away, having someone you care about living far away can be difficult. In fact, let's face it - it can really suck.
Growing up, my best friend and I lived in two different states. We took every opportunity possible to talk on the phone, and I believe that I'm solely responsible for the size of my family's phone bill back then.
At first, having my best friend so far away wasn't too hard, although we were only about eight or nine years old. But it wasn't long until we were feeling jealousy creep up into our relationship. Being forced to sit back and watch as her friends got to spend all their time with her was painful, and in hindsight, I'm sure it was just as difficult for her to hear about everything I was doing.
Now, as a college student, a lot of my friends are often traveling between their current apartment and their parent's homes. Because my college town is also my hometown, I've grown used to my friends leaving town for most of the summer. But what is supposed to happen for us after getting used to having one person around all the time?
Getting comfortable with another person can be wonderful and also absolutely terrifying. And whether or not this person is your boyfriend, your best friend in the whole world, or your soul mate, being far apart is going to be difficult. And the truth is, there is going to be obstacles to jump over.
Saying goodbye…
Saying goodbye is possibly the hardest part of any relationship. But when you're in a long distance relationship, there is always that inevitable goodbye waiting to happen. So try and make the most of the time that you have together, because every second is special.
Not being able to hug them…
I know for me, having physical contact, or even just being close to someone, is really important. I love nothing more than getting a bear hug from my friends after being apart for a while, and living hours or even countries away means that you'll be missing the close contact that you had together.
Wishing you could call them to come over whenever you want…
One of the best parts about being in college is having your friends as your neighbors. And it can be pretty hard when you're used to always having somebody around to eat dinner with, or watch reruns of your favorite T.V together. And as a semester comes to a close, suddenly, your go-to dinner buddy is gone.
Now, as hard as these relationships and friendships can be, there's one important factor that we can't skip: the fact that these relationships are totally worth it. When you have a mutual friendship with someone who cares about you, supports you no matter what, and is willing to take time to talk to you and stay in touch, it is valuable. I believe wholeheartedly that we should never give up on a relationship simply because of the distance. I've found that sometimes being far away can strengthen the bond you have with each other and that simply communicating with each other can form a special bond. Being far away from those that you love makes being in a relationship harder, but being able to see how your friend or significant other's eyes light up after being apart makes the waiting feel worth the trouble. Because when it comes down to it… Distance means so little when someone means so much.
