Long-distance relationships have a rather negative stigma attached to them. All too often people see them as doomed from the very beginning. Some even break off a promising relationship because their partner is moving away. All relationships have their difficulties, and distance shouldn’t be an obstacle if you really love someone. In fact, entering this kind of relationship with a negative attitude could be the source of making it unhealthy rather than the distance itself. A rise in long-distance commitments has been seen in recent years, as more and more people find love dating online. The internet has meant access to the whole world and has provided opportunities for meeting new people who are a bit further away than is strictly practical. This increase proves that long-distance relationships really can work, as long as you put in the appropriate effort and abandon any negative feelings at the very beginning. Here are three things that really won’t affect a relationship if it becomes long-distance and, therefore, shouldn’t be considered as drawbacks. Travel The sheer cost and time-consuming nature of travel might be putting you off. But if you’re clever about the situation and look in the right places, it really won’t be as expensive as you may be imagining. Make sure you plan visits far in advance. Diaries will need to be consulted, which feels a little formal for a relationship, but it will be worth it when you get money off for booking in advance. Also, make sure you’re using the appropriate train, coach or plane company’s website rather than an in-between that will charge more. Unfortunately, it will be difficult to find cheap deals for destinations outside Europe or USA. Although travel might take up time, it’s always worth considering making your journey overnight, when you’ll be sleeping anyway. This is usually cheaper as well. Evening travel is also a good option as you won’t be wasting any daylight here either. Just make sure you bring many forms of entertainment – DVDs, audio books, magazines – whatever you need to help pass the time. Travelling can also be a good opportunity to catch up on work or finish a book you’ve been neglecting. Less Communication Communication is vastly important in any relationship. A common misconception about long-distance relationships is that because you’re far apart you will lose touch and drift apart emotionally. With Skype, webcams, mobiles, texts and emails, communication has never been easier. Make sure you contact each other at least once a day, even if it’s only a text, just to reassure them that you’re still there. Also, if you plan trips carefully and regularly, you will begin to get used to the distance as a routine. Phone calls and Skype rendezvous will become an intrinsic part of your life. Less Time Together Your time together will obviously be considerably limited by the distance. You won’t be able to go over for dinner on a whim anymore, or go on spontaneous dates. But the time you do have will become even more special. Also, you will spend the whole trip together – probably every available minute. This is a longer stretch of time than most couples ever spend completely in each other’s company, so will more than make up for your time apart. So, if you live in USA and meet someone from Africa, don’t be discouraged because compatibility is far more important than distance. Where there’s a will, there’s a way – and love is a very strong motivator.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 07:28:55 +0000