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[EastCoastLoving]

He left Sunday, and man oh man have I been in the dumps. He moved back to his hometown to further his education (a special program that takes 5 semesters). We haven't been dating all that long, but have known each other a good while and are both very in love. I just don't want the distance to tear us apart, considering we are best friends and rarely even make a negative comment towards each other. I just want to make it thru fall and spring semester so that then I can be up there with him. I just need advice on how to make it through this whole year being 9 hours away from the love of my life.

[Unconditional]

Communication is essential, if there's no communication, the relationship will basically fall apart. Patience also comes in handy.
Texting, calling, and Skyping are the basic communication systems, hand written love letters are also pretty nice as well.
Having one Skype "date night" a week (or month) is helpful.

Hopefully this helps! =)
Good Luck

[nerdgasm42]

Hi there, EastCoastLoving. First of all, know that you are not alone and you have definitely come to the right place <3

As Unconditional said, communication is the most important thing in any relationship, but even more important in a LDR. I am in a similar situation as you: we met in December and fell quickly in love. We haven't been together for long, but everything just clicked and for the first time in both of our lives, we neither one have doubts about our relationship. It's an amazing feeling, but scary when you are so far away. I have a little over a year left of college before I close the distance with him, and it seems dreadfully far away. But in the meantime, we talk all the time. We usually message each other through Facebook, since it's most convenient. Every morning we send a good morning message, and usually at least one or two messages throughout the day - even if it's just a quick "I'm thinking of you" message. We usually chat on Skype for at least a short time every night. We even sometimes fall asleep together on Skype (with our laptops). Even though it's still hard being away from him, it helps to be connected to him in some way.

I wish you both the best. You'll get through this, and all of the difficult times will be more than worth it!

[Lucky]

I understand it feels like you are a world apart, but believe me, your situation is not that horrible and I am sure you can make it work

Have you talked about how often you will see each other and when? I checked on greyhound and the price is only 84usd roundtrip with advanced purchase on a weekend assuming you are in Charlotte and he is in Baltimore, at that price it might not be hard to see each other more often than just holidays, like a weekend here and there taking turns when possible. They offer extra discount for students if you buy a card that is good for a year.

My main advice is don't forget to live, you need stuff to talk about and you need to keep yourself busy or you will go crazy! don't push yourself though, it's perfectly acceptable to chill and talk about future plans or asking personal questions discovering new things about each other. Distance does make the heart grow fonder, this might be a good thing!

[aojeda50]

Like others have mentioned, communication is definitely key. Text when you can, email each other about your days, and be specific. That way they can picture it in their head what you did. I like sending my SO letters. It's always nice to get something in the mail from your loved one. I like to change it up a bit too, so I send him some drawings or pictures, or I send him a possession of mine that has meaning.
You can also set up a date and time to watch a movie together on the computer or Netflix if you have it.

LDR's come in handy, since both of the people don't see or talk to each other often, so when you finally do, it's mostly a really nice moment. No negativity or bad moods. You appreciate the relationship and the other person so much more.
Care packages are great too.

I find that setting up a date to visit can help the time go by a little easier. I start a countdown on my calendar and I get excited when I see a month has flew by already.

Also, make sure to say goodmorning and goodnight to each other, every single day, even if they're sleeping. It's a nice feeling to know they were thinking about you when they wake up and when they go to bed.

Relationships are hard work to begin with, LDR's are just a bit harder. It's been almost two years for me, and I'm hanging in there.
Be honest and faithful towards one another. Good Luck with everything. =)

[Deleted]

Unconditional pretty much nailed LDRs 101.

I just wanted to add that although being in a long-distance relationship is scary at first, you get used to the flow of things after a while. We're always here for support.

[Miasmata]

Thanks to modern technology, keeping each other a part of your lives is definitely possible. It's been said here before but it can't be stressed enough - Communication is so vital! Even just short messages go along way, since they show that you're thinking of each other and keep you two updated on how you're doing, what you're doing and what's new. Make each other feel included in what you do - Talk about new hobbies you picked up, the most recent movie you saw, your day at work or school.
You can also do things together via the net and share your interests together. For me personally, watching our favorite cartoons while we're on Skype or playing co-op videogames with online multiplayer is great fun for the both of us. Look into what you two like and how it can be done together online.

LDRs are tough and can get really frustrating - But they are absolutely and by no means impossible. Always be honest and open with your partner and communicate lots, and you can make this work!