I have a long distance relationship and I've had it for more then 3 years. Soon I will have my boyfriend to move to my town. Because I am a student and my boyfriend is working from home, making it easier for him to live on another place for a while. Here is my few tips for making it work a bit better.
1) Make time for yourself when you are together. The hard way I've learned this, because when you are hanging on to each other practically you make it worse. The cosyness the first few days and weeks, fade and you become annoyed with each other. So if it just mean getting out and catching take-away-food or snail-mail for a few minutes and taking a small walk for yourself it actually makes the time when you are physically together so much more relaxing.
2) When appart. Try to stay in touch as much as possible, msn or something like that is great. You do it for free (almost) and it allow you to talk long talks without risking your economy. And if you need the best broadband connection there is just take it even if it cost a bit more. Try to call each other a few times (if that is the only way do it each day). Don't take fights and arguments over msn too seriously, it is almost always true that the lack of hearing the voice of the other one that makes the trouble. Be openminded and clear (when joking tell it is a joke).
3) If you need to work when being together, do not make it sound like the worse thing ever, try to make weekend hollidays and travel to some place or just make a few more days in the week more special, like going out in the park doing romatic things. Even if it means going to a tacky theater-show.
4) If time appart is too heavy on you, try to make silly appointments. Like renting the same movie and watch it simultainly and comment it on the phone or buy the same book and read it to each other (The Da Vinci Code could be a good one), or even eat the same food each Tuesday.
5) Never stop up totally in your life just to do the relationship good deeds, keep your life going even if it is hard. I've not managed this and know it is the part that makes the rest of the world a bad place for me, so now I do implement new habits that will last long because I do them my way.
By the way:
My boyfriend lives by the way near Oslo in Norway and I live on the eastcoast of Sweden in the middle of it, and it takes me 12 hours or so by train to travel to him, and on a good day it takes him 8-9 hours by car to travel to me.
Love Leelene
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