Happy to be here!

[DSABC]

Hi There!

My name is Dee and I decided to join the site after a particularly rough evening.
A little about my LDR: My SO lives in Dominican Republic and I live in Canada.
I've volunteered on and off in the DR for 7 years and have known him for 5.
In December I moved there for a 7 month volunteer stint and we got together.
He was amazing the entire time I was there; always willing to do anything he could to help me.
He even met some of my family when they came to visit, and they loved him which was awesome.
His English is extremely beginner which can be exhausting, as we mostly communicate in Spanish. (My second language)
Today was just one of those rough days where I felt like I wasn't getting enough communication from him and he doesn't get it, so I felt I needed a little outside support from some likeminded people who understand how it feels.
I know he loves me and I love him but after spending 6 months attached at the hip, the last month has been torture. Thankfully I'll be visiting soon and going back for an extended period in January so there is an end in sight. For all the ladies out there living visit to visit or who are dating soldiers: you're my inspiration. If I'm having a hard time, I can't even imagine the strength you all have to muster up everyday; I'll be looking to you as my role models.

Side note: Anyone else dating someone from Latin America who they've know forever, and yet constantly have to deal with the 'he just wants a visa' discussion from friends AND strangers? So frustrating.

[MissingMyDutchLove]

In my experience, the first month LD is always the hardest. Even if you're a "pro", it takes a while to get back in the rhythm after a visit and get on with your life without your SO by your side (physically). Not sure when your visit is, but from the January perspective, you are so close to being back! You're looking at 5 months. Yes, hard, but no, not impossible. There are many of us that go 7 months or longer in between visits! The biggest thing to remember during that time is to live your own life as if your SO doesn't exist. Sounds harsh, but it's true. If you live your life to the best of your abilities and enjoy the life you have without your SO, the time will go by so much faster than if you are waiting around everyday until you're able to skype. The language barrier is a hard part in many LDRs. Luckily, I was the one who was able to speak my first language since my SO is fluent in English, so I can't give you any advice there. However, I do know that cultural differences can be huge and that many problems you have may stem from that? Is it possible that your SO doesn't understand what type of communication you're expecting from him? Could you maybe explain it in a different way or just try to make him understand what you are saying so that even if he doesn't "get it", he gets it. Lastly, just ignore all of those people! If you listened to every person's opinion about long distance in general or marrying a foreigner, you would never believe that long distance can work! There is such a negative attitude surrounding LDRs in our culture, but it really can work! Just look at some of the people on here that have been doing it for 6+ years! Half the time, people have no idea what they're talking about anyways. So ignore those people and focus on the fact that you have something good!