Surviving a Long Distance Relationship: Can You Keep a Long Distance Relationship Alive?

The Internet has definitely made long distance relationships a lot more common, and, for the most part, made them easier to cope with. But just surviving a long distance relationship is not really the goal. Like any relationship, you want it to progress and flourish and, just the same as any relationship, two vital ingredients to making that happen are determination and commitment. Unfortunately being hundreds or thousands of miles apart makes it a little more difficult. Difficult, but not impossible.
You will have no doubt heard it said, seen it written (and even listened to it sung) that communication is the key. But however clichéd it sounds, it’s simply the truth.
In a long distance relationship you don’t have the advantage of regular physical contact so you are forced to rely on other methods of communication. And very often, finding new and different ways to communicate takes a little imagination. Most people rely on e-mail and cell phones and there is no doubt that both are hugely important if you want your relationship to grow, but you also have another method to connect intimately while you’re apart, a method which is very often neglected in these days of modern technology.
A hand written letter or card can say so much to your lover – especially if you find it difficult to communicate by phone. Sometimes things can be said on a telephone in the heat of the moment but bitterly regretted later, and it’s extremely difficult to take them back. Words come out wrongly and very often what you say is not what you mean.
For many people, there is also the added problem of different time zones. It’s difficult to make a phone assignation when for one of you it’s 3 o'clock in the morning.
This is where the advantage of a written letter comes in. You can take your time writing it, change it, add to it, and say what you really mean without fear of it coming out badly.
Of course you’re not trying to outdo Jane Austin and nobody’s saying that your letter has to have the grammatical accuracy of an English Language exam, but words, written from the heart, can ensure that you go well beyond simply surviving a long distance relationship. You can also include things in your letter, like a small card with your perfume/cologne sprayed on it (obviously don’t do this if your significant other has hay fever!) Photos reminding them just how drop dead gorgeous you are; a small lock of hair (emphasis on the small - needing a complete new hairstyle to cover the clump you removed is not a good idea!)
A hand written letter is far more intimate than a typed e-mail and can say so much more than a phone text message. Obviously, during the course of a busy day, when you may only have a few minutes to spare, both of these are crucial ways to let your lover know you are thinking about them, but when you’re on your own, feeling lonely and missing your loved one, writing them a letter can really help bring you closer together.
And the best part is that you can keep the letters, reading and re-reading each one when you need extra reassurance and you’re unable to talk to each other.
So, while surviving a long distance relationship certainly does take commitment and determination, developing and nurturing it also needs a little imagination.