Long distance relationships.

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  • GreenTeaForDays
    GreenTeaForDays Posts: 166 Member
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    I am in a long distance relationship now. (Georgia - California). We were together for 1 year and then I moved about 9 months ago. We rarely left each other's side the entire year we were together so the initial adjustment was really tough. I have to say, my boyfriend is incredibly sweet and supportive. I barely deserve him. He loves to talk on the phone, we watch movies together using netflix and skype. We read books together. All of these things make it a lot easier because we can still enjoy things together.
  • HellsKells
    HellsKells Posts: 671 Member
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    Dated a lad from Leeds (UK) while I was living here in the US and it worked for a while, but it was really, really difficult, and ultimately, we parted ways.

    Anyone that's mentioned that communication and dedication to making it work, are bang on the money. You have to both be all in, or one of you will end up feeling like they're putting in more effort, and could end up resentful (that was me, btw....haha).

    Good luck to you. I do believe with effort, it can work :smile:
  • heyitsmegxx
    heyitsmegxx Posts: 444
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    My boyfriend is in another country than me. I currently live in Australia, and he lives in America. If anything, it's brought us closer than I have ever thought. We trust each other 100%. It's amazing how much this time apart has made our relationship grow so much.
  • Broderick50
    Broderick50 Posts: 851 Member
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    I'VE BEEN IN ONE FOR 3 YEARS I LIVE IN KY SHE LIVES IN TN IT SUCKS ONLY GETTING TO SEE EACH OTHER A HAND FULL OF TIMES A YEAR IF I HAD IT TO DO AGAIN I WOULDN'T DO IT NOW I FEEL LIKE I'M STUCK IN IT AND CANT GET OUT
  • taxidermist15
    taxidermist15 Posts: 677 Member
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    Im in america, the boyfriend in in australia. Im originally from australia. We've been together 7 years, and this is our first year apart. To be honest, if you get in a routine, its not as hard as people think it is (however, for the past 3 years we have both worked FIFO jobs, so we never saw each other much anyway). everyday we talk on skype, or facebook, but we have that hour or two where we will both be online. That time is ours an nothing gets int he way of it.
    Yes its hard, and its not for everyone, but knowing this is a short term thing (only a year) makes it bearable. I could not do it if it were a permanent thing. I'm out here training for my dream job, he understands that, but if it were a permanent thing, if I HAD to be here for the rest of my life, I would rather go back home and be with him. Work isnt everything.

    It helps that we have 100% trust in each other. Neither of us is the jealous type. which helps.... but without that 100% trust, it wouldn't work.
  • AzhureSnow
    AzhureSnow Posts: 289 Member
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    I have - we met while he was on business in my hometown. He moved to California 3 weeks later. We developed a long-distance frienship that was very close, and then it emerged into a long-distance relationship about a year and a half later. It was good for us - we really got to learn a lot about the other one on a non-physical level. As for how it worked out - well, I married the guy in December 2010, and things couldn't be better :)
  • GLJezebel
    GLJezebel Posts: 312 Member
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    I have been in a long distance international relationship for almost 3 years. My fiance is from India, we met in the US in 2003. In 2009 the US denied his visa extension (H1-B) and he returned to India. His employer filed an L1-A in October 2010 and we are still waiting for the US to approve or deny the application. I spent 5 weeks with him in India in May 2010 and we saw each other for 1 week in Seattle in April 2011 when he was there for work.

    Long distance relationships suck, but we are committed to being together and getting married when he returns to the US. We don't get to Skype very often because the internet/electricity in India can be a little tricky. We talk on the phone twice a day, we text, and we email. I guess my point is, if you care enough about the person to make it work, you can make it work.
  • Akc78728
    Akc78728 Posts: 4
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    I have tried long distance with new relationships two different times (I'm living in Virginia and both were in Kansas). Neither worked out mainly because of the distance. But I would still be with the second guy if it weren't for the distance. He didn't want to hold me back and not accomplish what I want. I also didn't want to hold him back or ask him. I would say it is definitely important to talk about when you would be together in the beginning. We didn't know when we would be living in the same place and don't currently have the funds or time to visit each other more than once or twice a year. That being said, we are still friends, on good terms and I definitely don't regret trying. So make sure you're upfront from the beginning.
  • george29223
    george29223 Posts: 556 Member
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    i dunno iam in the living room shes in the bedroom the distance is tough thank goodness theres a bathroom inbetween for a rest stop
  • spynoodle
    spynoodle Posts: 404
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    I've been in long distance relationships. Not different states, but about 40-45 minute drive apart, they didn't work. I'm the type of person where I need someone close by.

    45 minutes? that's like across town. LOL

    Seriously. It takes me 30 minutes to get to work every day!
  • chai_latte
    chai_latte Posts: 94 Member
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    I'm in Toronto and he's in Pittsburgh (currently in Seattle for work - which is worse!)

    I feel blessed to have met him.

    It'll be 6 months next month, and I don't remember one day he hasn't made the effort to stay in touch and keep me in the know.

    Certainly agree with everyone here about trust and open & constant communication. Long distance is certainly painful, but if you know that this is it, you both work for it, and knowing that this long distance thing is only temporary keeps me going. :)
  • MzRawkqueen
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    I've dated around Toronto and am convinced that the people in this city just aren't for me.

    Pretty much all the guys I meet are stuck on their ex's, or there is simply no chemistry, which can't be blamed at all. Still, it is of course very frustrating.

    I've resorted to speed dating and online dating and finally was matched with a handsome and darling Marine who lives in Tonawanda.

    It's only a two hour drive, so it's not that bad (I used to travel 4 hours a day over 3 years to go to my college!), however we are int he early dating stages, so it is difficult.

    I'm pretty sure long distance can work if the visits are frequent enough and if communication is very open. But man, if he lives in Europe or even Florida, there's no way that would work. Way too far! Travelling gets pricey...
  • whitterbugCo
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    I met my boyfriend over an online video game. I knew him 3 years before we met in person. It definitely had it's hard times, but what was the hardest was when we finally met, and could only see each other once a month or once every two months, for only a week at a time. Saying goodbye to him was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life, and I cried buckets the following days and didn't eat. That lasted 5 months and then I was fired from my job, and decided to move to Nebraska, to be with him. He has a little girl in NE, so the only option was for me to come here. It'll be a year in September since we met and things are better than I ever imagined they could be. A year ago, I hadn't even "met" him yet, and now I live with him!

    I trusted him completely, but I talked to him every day for hours, we played our online game together, watched movies over Ventrilo (like Skype) and got as close as we possibly could while being two states apart.

    He drove to UT (where I lived) from NE, which is a 14+ hour drive one way, once a month to see me. Not only did it cost $400 each time (he prefers driving over a plane since he's so tall, the seats are always uncomfortable) just to be with me. Oh, he is lovely. It was hard, but very very worth it.


    )) Tip: Watch movies together! Use Skype or Ventrilo, so you can talk to each other, and download the same movie, open it and count from 3 so you both hit play at the same time. It's really easy and fun! I can remember our first movie.. The Notebook. My pick, ha! We also watched TV Series together: Prison Break, True Blood, Dexter, Sopranos etc.

    )) Tip: Play games together! Pogo.com has a lot of board games you can play together, as well as Zilch which is a favorite we still play today (http://www.kongregate.com/games/gaby/zilch). You can also play MMORPG games if you're into that, and use vent/skype while you're playing (like WoW, Ultima Online)
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
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    When me and my husband met we lived 80 miles apart, which to you people in the USA probably seems like nothing but to me it was long distance because we only really saw each other on weekends as it was a 3 hour round trip do couldn't really be done in the week. Anyway we did that for a year then I moved to his home town and 5 years on from that we are about to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

    Personally I think long distance relationships will only work if you are both committed and with a big of give and take. You always have times when it feels so rubbish you can't see them, or when you start to doubt it but we had way more quality time together than a lot of couples who live close by. Ultimately my relationship lasted because I was willing to move, and I think realistically it will only ever work if one of you is willing to do that. If you both want to stay in your home town, that's when problems arise.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    I was in one for 10 months. It was great, he even said he wanted to marry me. Then one day, he just checked out. Made excuses not to call or skype when we had been doing so every day for months. And when we did talk, he was flat out rude and mean. He'd always been so amazingly sweet before and I felt completely loved in every way. It was like a 180.

    Long distance made it hard because he was slipping away and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't make him pick up the phone, I couldn't make him see me face to face. When we did finally break up, he made it clear that it was the distance making it too hard. And he couldn't wait another year or two to be in the same place. He was just done, didn't want to try. Didn't think putting in the effort would make a difference.

    I don't know how I feel about long distance relationships now. Mine used to be great. But now I'm questioning if they can really work. I just know I don't want to be in one ever again. I have some serious trust issues after that last one.
  • tripitena
    tripitena Posts: 554 Member
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    Yes. Different cities, same state, 2 years before I could make the move over. We've been married 6 years now so I'd say it worked out fine for us.
  • jhunt90
    jhunt90 Posts: 78
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    I'm in one and have been for 3 years :) There was some on again off again but the thing is if you really love the person then there's no way you can not be with them even if you're 1,300 miles away (That's mine and my boyfriend's current distance...) I have jealousy issues too sometimes but I'm pretty sure that's normal (I hope!) My way to deal with it is just listening to the reassurance because the fact of the matter is if he wanted to be out with someone instead of talking to you, he would be, he's not just talking to you because you're there.
    The only tips I can give you are seriously lame ones, but they work for us. We see each other every day, whether it be a new picture or on Skype, we very rarely go a day without seeing each other. We've done long distance date nights (bare with me on the cheesiness of this...) where we go to a movie that is at the same time (or as close as it can be :P) and talk up until the movie starts and then as soon as it's over and then go eat at the same place. The other thing is just, talking. I know it's obvious, but seriously, talk talk talk talk.
    I'd say ours has worked out so far since he's moving here for me in September :)
  • jhunt90
    jhunt90 Posts: 78
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    Totally met my long distance boyfriend on a video game, haha :P
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
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    I think LDR's have at the base of them, the same problems as a right there beside you relationship...the only thing is those problems seem bigger and are exacerbated by the distance...

    but the distance itself is never really the killer, it comes down to trust, doing the right thing, always communicating and surrendering yourself to the process completely...

    (again...all things that normally kill a normal relationship too)

    i think it does take a special dedication such as in communication and making time for each other....but it's still at the root, the same as any relationship...

    trust and let it happen...if it's meant to be, it WILL happen and will be worth the miles, blood, sweat and tears...
  • ems1583
    ems1583 Posts: 180 Member
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    I've been keeping this one for a long time now as I fell in love with it. I'm in a long distance relationship. Miles, and miles apart..I'm here in the US, he's in the Philippines..its hard but you gotta make things work if you really love each other. its been 1 year & 7 mos now that we're apart, 2 mos more and that would be the sweetest return. excited to be home in 2 mos (sadly just gonna be there for 3 wks and will go back here) Trust and communication are really important. We talk everyday, no secrets and all. Its also a matter of how much you really love that person