Long Distance Relationships: Can they work?

I got lots of emails on Facebook about this subject so Iʻve decided to address it.

With the rise of online dating the number of long distance relationships also climb. But can they actually work? Of course they can. But for them to work thereʻs three things that youʻve just got to have:

3: A Plan- If youʻre going to date someone from a far away area code, at least have a plan set to meet that person at some point in time. If the first week of conversations go well make sure to address when a possible meet time is. If you donʻt then you can really set yourself up to be wasting your time.

2: Communication- If this is someone youʻve met online then chances are that youʻve got to build everything through phone/text/video messaging. Keep things fresh and communicate often. Unlike in a relationship where things get physical, your sense of touch for one another is completely off the table. Overcompensate with calls, texts, and video calling to bridge the gap.

1: Trust- The most important thing in a long distance relationship is trust. When meeting someone on an online dating site, itʻs probably a safe bet that you arenʻt the only person theyʻve taken an interest to on the site. You have to address the question not only of how many people theyʻre talking to, but how serious are they with other parties. Trust in them to tell the truth is paramount if youʻre going to have a chance to succeed.

Even if you have these things, a long distance relationship can be difficult to carry on. When you enter into one of these thereʻs always a great deal of caution to have because behind a computer people can be whoever they want to be. You can be the sweetest most loving person at one point then you can be totally different in person. Talking about things and getting perspectives from this person should be one of the top things on your list.

So if youʻre in one of these long distance relationships you have to come up with a logical date when you can meet. Would be ideal if every few weeks you can spend a couple of days together to help the relationship blossom like its supposed to. Without any physical contact whatsoever, itʻs going to be tough sledding to get your relationship moving in positive ways. So make a way to meet as soon as you can.

Because who wants to waste time on the phone all day if itʻs destined to go nowhere right?