The Long-Distance Diaries

     If you don't know me personally, you probably don't know that I am in a long-distance relationship. In fact, this is the 4th school year that I will be doing long-distance. My boyfriend Zach is a year older than I am, so we have been doing this since my senior year of high school. It is safe to say that I am definitely well-versed in all things having to do with long-distance relationships, and I have learned so much in the past several years.

    The first major lesson that I learned might be obvious, but I didn't know how important it was until we dove into actually being long-distance: communication is key. Whether it be a simple Snapchat to show the other person what one is up to or a three-hour-long FaceTime call, communication is the most important value when being away from your partner for so long. Communication is important in every relationship, but it is so easy to feel disconnected when there is a physical distance between each other. Since we are both so busy it can be hard to find time to update each other about our days, but I learned that it can be incredibly beneficial to have a shared calendar to know when each of us has free time and can catch up.

    Another lesson that I have learned was very surprising to me: distance truly does make the heart grow fonder. As we spend so much time apart, the little time we get to spend together becomes so much more special. Being apart makes our relationship so much stronger, as so much trust is required for the relationship to be successful. It isn't always the easiest, but it has always been worth it.