HOPEFUL WANDERING: Long Distance Relationship Tips

I think most relationships experience

the Long Distance conundrum at least

once during their relationship.

Whether it's a short experience or a long one

we all know the feels involved in missing the one you love.

Now my personal experience with long distance

is probably going to be pretty different than most experiences.

We didn't meet in school or on a study abroad program.

We had never even been to each others home towns before we met.

We didn't meet in person until 7 months after we 'met' online.

Meeting people online isn't really as taboo as it used to be

but meeting online and falling in love with someone

across the world still shocks people a bit when I tell them.

And then I explain that we've met multiple times

and we've spent a significant amount of time together

in the real world, hand in hand, blahdee blaahh...

Then they smile and congratulate me on snagging a Hottt British guy ;)

Which I totally did ;)

Then after I've been hilariously congratulated we dish on

how romantic it is and how lucky I am and how fun

and just amazing our love story is.

And it's all true.

It's all amazing because I found a great guy...

Or in Tom's opinion he found a great girl since

he was the first one to message me.

In all of the amazingness there's still a bit of heartache.

Being apart from the one you love is rough.

Over the past two years I've posted about long distance and

I've read comments that all say "It's hard but so worth it in the end"

I agree, 100%!

Being apart sucks but it makes our

time together even more special.

When you go for months without kisses or a hand to hold

you can get a little bitter to the whole long distance thing.

But Tom and I have done really well when it

comes down to being together.

We rarely let more than three months pass before

one of us is on a plane to see the other.

The longest time we've been apart was at the beginning.

That was 7 months of not meeting but that

was ok since we were both so nervous about

that first time we met.

After that we've tried our best to keep time apart as short as possible.

The one thing that has helped us cope with being apart

has been the amazing invention that is Skype.

I remember posting in the early days about skype dates

and how we had spent hours and hours talking.

One Skype date turned into hundreds of skype dates

and we've skyped for thousands of hours i'm sure.

We make time to see each other when we're not together

and it makes being apart significantly easier.

Not easy by any means but easier.

So if I had to give advice to someone

just starting a long distance relationship I'd say...

1. Skype is your new bestie - Skype is not only good for face to face communication

but it's ALSO the best way to call someone far away for free. Tom and I talk on the phone all the time and it makes us feel even closer.

2. Don't let months and months go between seeing each other - I know that flights get expensive, trust me!! It's so important to keep your relationship thriving, and if you can control when you see

each other try and make it happen as often as possible until you can just be together.

3. Send each other mail - Tom and I send boxes of treats back and forth all of the time and it's such

a fun way to stay connected to each other while you're apart. We also have separate boxes full of letters that we've sent each other. There's so much you can do to feel a little bit closer.

4. Try to work flexible jobs - While you're apart you'll most likely be working to make money to be together. That's like the biggest conundrum of long distance. Working to be together rather than

working to have work experience and a career. My personal take on this is that my life, my happiness and Tom are more important than a big corporate job. So I'm a nanny and I love it and the pay is awesome and the hours are awesome and it's the perfect job to have while in my long distance relationship. Tom has been fortunate to also have a flexible job that has worked with him when he wanted to come see me. So jobs are a big part of our success even if we're not working towards careers right now. I know a lot of people want a career before a love life and that's perfect. But sometimes love life comes first which is fine in my book ;)

5. Texting - If you've got an iphone and you and your love are from different countries then Imessage is your bestie. Tom and I text constantly, ask anyone that's around me. We're always in communication with each other from the moment I wake up till the moment Tom goes to bed. Texting, how I love thee.