So, you feel like you’ve met the one. This girl seems like a perfect fit for you; you make each other laugh, you’re always thinking about her when she’s not around, and they’re the first person you message when something cool, significant, or funny happens. The only thing is that you met her when you were on vacation or a trip, and she doesn’t live anywhere near you. In fact, she’s overseas, so you rarely get to see her in person. Long-distance relationships and love can be a challenge. However, those that overcome those challenges can often find themselves with lifelong partners who are strong enough to withstand even the toughest of times. Unlike more conventional or traditional relationships; long-distance lovers can’t just pop over for a hug, or to make up after a disagreement. Therefore, it’s crucial that you figure out the ways to keep the best parts of a relationship alive and recover from any pitfalls and stumbling blocks.
If you truly care about the other person and they feel the same; there’s no reason you can’t work through any struggles together, and your relationship will grow and evolve. Communication is key, and you’ll be able to start making future plans together, and putting things in place so that one day you can live in the same place as a strong couple. However, it’s these first months, and sometimes, years, where you need to do more than the average couple so that your long-distance love can remain alive. The following are some ideas, inspiration, and advice for those in a long-term relationship with someone special overseas, who wants this to be their other half for the years ahead.
Make Plans And Stick To Them
From those initial plane tickets and vacations together, to eventually looking into green card sponsorship for one of you; it’s crucial that you stick to any plans you’ve discussed and made. If you become flaky or unreliable regarding promises and organizing things; your relationship will be on rocky ground. Therefore, you need to build solid foundations of trust, honesty, and reliability. Ensure that you communicate clearly; you’ll both need to know each other’s work and life schedule so that you know when you can catch up, talk, and for how long each day or so.
Keep checking in with each other; it’s important to let the other person know that you miss them and are thinking about them. You’ll need to make up for not physically seeing one another with regular contact, and making the most of the times you are able to get together. Time difference can make things even more challenging; however, sticking to set times to talk will help ensure that you both feel like a priority and absence will make the heart grow fonder.
Ask Questions And Be Thoughtful
It can be a little difficult to get to know someone over the phone or through video calls. So, you’ll need to ensure that you keep asking questions. The more you ask, the better you can understand your loved one’s life. You can learn all about their job, family, friends, and what they enjoy. Utilize the time you are together to introduce them to those you’re both close to, and encourage them to make friends with yours through social media. Remember that you’re at the beginning of potentially building a life with this person, so it’s important that they become an integral part of yours, and those around you know who they are. The more you get to know your love, the more thoughtful you can be. Send little gifts or notes about things that relate to just them. A favorite book, tickets to a show, or flowers on a special or difficult occasion for them will go a long way to solidify your relationships and feelings towards one another.
Never forget birthdays or anniversaries, and do all you can to be together on these occasions. The benefit of getting to know their friends and family is that you can always plan a surprise visit, and it won’t feel awkward or strange. Little messages at random times will add to the feeling of security they feel in the relationship, so it’s vital that you don’t get complacent and start forgetting to do those special little things. But, you can also expect those things in return. The relationship should be fair and balanced to avoid resentment or arguments. If they’re worth it and you see a future together; none of this will seem like hard work. The hardest thing will be missing them, but that just means you care.
