Long distance relationship that worked

15 Successful Long-Distance Relationship Couples On What Made Them Work

Life

by Natalia Lusinski

Feb. 27, 2018

BDG Media, Inc.

While you may not necessarily expect to ever be in a long-distance relationship, many people are at some point, either for a short or long amount of time. For instance, say you live in Chicago and go to Paris for a couple weeks. You're in a bookstore and, next thing you know, you and a fellow bookstore patron start talking, and talking leads to having coffee at a nearby café, and you *really* click. But then you learn they're not visiting Paris: They live there. Then what? You still have almost two weeks left of your trip, so you both decide to spend every minute together. But neither of you want things to end once you head back home. Before you know it, you're in a long-distance relationship faster than you can say LDR. You're wondering how to make your long-distance relationship work and talk to everyone you know for advice.

"Long-distance relationships can be extremely challenging," Relationship Specialist Jen Elmquist, MA, LMFT, and author of Relationship Reset: Secrets from a Couples Therapist That Will Revolutionize Your Love for a Lifetime, tells Bustle. "Being separated from someone you love takes an emotional, psychological, and physical toll on each partner, along with adding extra stress and pressure to the relationship. On the other hand, long-distance relationships can also provide a season of deep growth for a couple, and build fortitude into a relationship that has a lasting effect."

For better or worse, many people have been in LDRs, and some continue to be in them even after they get married. In fact, according to a May 2013 article titled, "Absence Makes the Communication Grow Fonder: Geographic Separation, Interpersonal Media, and Intimacy in Dating Relationships" in the Journal of Communication, people in LDRs tend to have stronger bonds from more constant, deeper communication than relationships where couples live in the same place. Furthermore, The Center for the Study of Long-Distance Relationships states that 2.9 percent of all U.S. marriages are long-distance as of 2005. I know a few couples like this, too. In one case, the husband lost his job and eventually found a new one — a two-hour flight away, in New York City. So he flies from Chicago to NYC every Sunday night, then flies back to Chicago, to his wife and kids, on Friday night.

Luckily, with how advanced technology is these days, and how much it continues to evolve day-to-day, it's easier than ever to keep in touch with your long-distance partner. Below, couples share how they made, or still make, their LDRs work.

1 Susan & Scott

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"My husband and I have been together for 13 years and have three children under nine. I resigned to the fact that I married someone in the military and who leaves for his job often. I could have not married him and have been without him forever… or be married to him and miss him often. We both write each other real pen-and-paper letters — beautiful letters without any nonsense about the day-to-day, letters about what we love and miss about each other. People don't write real letters anymore — they text, chat, Facebook... but romance, real romance, is dead. We make sure to only speak a few times a week. When we do get to speak to each other, we also do not talk about silly little things that are going wrong. I have also developed my own life and interests outside of him and have separate ones with him. When we are together, I am not completely dependent upon him for everything. The separations have given me strength and self-confidence."

2 Tia & Josh

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"My boyfriend, Josh, and I spent the first two years of our relationship long-distance. We started dating in 2009, shortly after I moved to Chicago from Los Angeles, and we'd met in L.A. a few months before I moved. In 2011, I moved back to L. A., and we decided to live together. When we were long-distance, the two main ways that we made it work was by genuinely liking each other, being supportive, trusting, and independent… oh and Skype, Skype, Skype!

When Josh and I first met, we got along well, but then I moved away and we started talking on the phone all the time. It helped that I lived in the city he was from so he could talk to me about his hometown, give me tips on the comedy scene, and things like that. Even though I liked him a lot, I was pretty gun-shy about jumping into another relationship after having been married before. A long-distance relationship was really good for me because it was the best of both worlds: I had someone I cared about, but I also had a lot of much-needed solitude.

If you're going to do an LDR, trust is essential, as well as understanding where your relationship stands — both partners need to be on the same page and be honest. If you feel like they are hiding things from you (or you catch them hiding things from you), then that's a problem. It's also very important to have an independent spirit and to keep a life outside of your partner — plus, you'll later have more to talk about with your partner. While having your own life is important, setting FaceTime or even phone call dates is a good idea. The way technology is today, LDRs are a lot easier than they used to be. I remember being in an LDR in college when Skype didn't exist and long distance phone calls actually cost money. It was a lot harder then."

3 John & Cathy

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"In 2010, I moved from the U.S. to Wales and met Cathy at a hostel. She was from Australia and we hit it off, but our romantic relationship wouldn't begin for another few years. We were good friends when we started dating in 2014, and that history of friendship accelerated our relationship. Before long, we were making flights across the world from London to Melbourne. When we were not together, we'd speak online, on the phone, through video. Eventually, it made sense to live in the same place, so at the end of 2014, we moved in together — first in Melbourne, then London, and now Melbourne once more. One added complexity to our relationship was the need to plan for a visa. Partner visas are costly, nearly $10,000 after all the fees, so that was one last hurdle for us to clear. In the Summer of 2016, we got engaged, I had an opportunity to move my tour company, Walks 101, to Melbourne, and in December 2017, we got married. It was a long journey, but it definitely paid off."

4 Melinda & Mark

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"Mark and I were long-distance for almost four years. I was living in South Florida and only moved to Atlanta after our marriage. We'd met through our sons many years ago, in 2006. Both of them played chess from elementary school through high school and were at a high enough level that they traveled around the country to play in national tournaments. Since parents weren't allowed inside the playing hall, we'd all sit outside the hall, talk, and wait. So Mark and I got to know each other superficially during these days, very casual and friendly, nothing romantic at all — we were both married, and didn't chat much beyond kids, chess, and school.

Fast forward a few years to 2009: We connected on Facebook during the period when I was divorcing and he was already separated, so it got kind of flirty online. We stayed in touch casually and very occasionally after that, until 2013, when I was picking my son up from chess camp at Emory University in Atlanta. Unbeknownst to me, Mark was at the camp to photograph the camp tournament. As he was driving away, he happened to see me crossing the street, did a U-turn to come say hello, and something clicked for both of us as we hugged! And that's when the romantic relationship really began...

We made a commitment to never let more than six weeks go by without an in-person visit. We'd discovered that once we passed the six-week mark, it became harder to maintain our connection — little disagreements began to pop up and insecurities (mine in particular) began to surface. In between, of course, it was natural and easy to keep a flow of daily communication through text, phone calls, Skype, and emails. One of the upsides of a long-distance relationship is that we were forced to talk through everything — we couldn't just push an issue aside with physical affection and good sex! Communication and trust are absolutes if a long-distance relationship is going to work."

5 Ryan & Rose

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"Last year, I started a long-distance thing with a girl I knew in college and first met over 10 years ago, and it's going really well. I'm in L.A. and she's in NYC. We talk every day, usually video chat. We'll watch things on Netflix together, and literally time out when we press play so we can text during the show. And at the end of the day, we can go out with our friends in our respective cities.

It's hard at times, but the hardest part of doing long-distance with an old friend has surprised me. It's not the distance; the hardest part is saying goodbye at the end of a trip. We spend 10 days together in the same place, having the time of our lives, and suddenly we have to leave each other for, on average, 2-3 months. It really forces us to make the most of our time together. Over time, we have grown closer, and I'm even looking at jobs in New York. We still try to video chat every day. It's been hard because we miss each other."

6 Lisa & Norm

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"LDRs offer epic romance, the kind that stems from absence making the heart grow fonder! In between seeing each other, you make plans about how it will be and where you will go and what you will see and do together! Ah, sweet fantasies that often become a reality! (But, it's not reality! Just a beautiful way to spend time!) You will get to know a new town, culture, people, foods — things you may find you are more connected to than your life back home... or not. You will spend money! Yes... you will! Traveling, eating out, adventuring! Little gifts, cards, phone bills. .. Also, be prepared to be alone — enjoy it. If you are the jealous, insecure type, forget it. You will be out of sync mentally, physically and emotionally often... add in different time zones and things can get tricky! The most important thing is to say what you feel, even if you think what you are going to share will break things. It will not break you. Be true to yourself. Compromise when you need to, but never give up on your own needs and wants. Check in often, with yourself and your LDR. Questions to ask of an LDR is: Do we want the same things? In the moment? In the future? Together? Apart? Know if you are willing to relocate because, eventually, you need to be in the same city."

7 Caroline & Mike

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"I actually married my LDR boyfriend in October 2016. After four years of long-distance, we closed the distance in 2015. My best tips are to: set a date to close the distance by — you can look forward to it finally ending; find a hobby you can do together while apart, like playing a mobile game together; and trust is so important in relationships, but even more so in an LDR since you can't be there to make sure your partner is telling the truth. So never lie, not even a white lie, because rebuilding trust in this type of relationship is exceedingly hard."

8 Margaux & Yoel

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"My now husband and I briefly met at a party while I was on holiday in Tel Aviv, Israel — and right before my return flight home to Montreal, Canada. After a few phone calls, we knew we had an amazing connection and decided to meet in Barcelona, Spain for our first official date. It was magical, and we agreed to see each other at least once a month after that. After six months, I met his family in Paris, and he proposed the next day in a French countryside chateau.

We made our long-distance relationship work out because we were really committed to each other and to the idea of making it work. We changed our respective schedules to accommodate daily FaceTime dates, despite the time difference. We also made long-term plans that included when and where we would see each other next, and stuck to it. Through creativity and determination, we gave new meaning to the term 'Where there's a will, there's a way,' and no matter the distance, we found a way to make it work. Today, we are married two years with a three-month-old baby girl. Ironically, I am a relationship expert for Three Matches, but I could not have found a better match for myself."

9 Kelly & Marcus

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"My British beau and I are about to celebrate four years in a long-distance relationship. He's based in London caring for his ailing mum, and I'm an international housesitter and blog about it at HouseSitDiva.com. For the past eight years, I've traveled full-time by housesitting and caring for others' pets, and I housesit in London several weeks per year, throughout the year, so we can be together. He also joins me on international housesits. We've housesat together in Berlin, Gibraltar, Mexico, and Los Angeles.

Right now, both our lives are in flux, but being together several times a year — along with daily WhatsApp messages, as well as regular Skype chats and emailing — keeps our connection fresh. My advice for maintaining a long-distance relationship: Always have a new trip planned before the current one ends. I plan my housesits months in advance, which gives Marcus plenty of notice to take time off from work and find a substitute caregiver for his mum. Housesitting has provided us the opportunity to be together, and I'm so enthusiastic about it, I've just published a book How to Become a Housesitter: Insider Tips from the HouseSit Diva. With Marcus, knowing when we'll next be together eases the sting of the goodbye."

10 Kharisma & Steven

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"I've had a successful long-distance relationship that I maintained for four years. I was in Indonesia and my boyfriend was in the U.S. We were literally half a world away, and we would meet each other once a year in person. I immigrated to the U.S. to marry him, and we have been happily married for seven years now. When we were long-distance, we would webcam every day, any chance we got. The 12-13 hours' time difference (no daylight savings in Indonesia) actually made it pretty convenient for us, because when it was 10 a.m. in the U.S., it would be 9-10 p.m. my time. I was a night owl working from home and he was a full-time college student."

11 Paige & George

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"George and I were in a long-distance relationship while dating for the first four years, and then we moved in together and got engaged and married. After five years of marriage, we commuted for about a year for work, and we just celebrated our 25th anniversary last month! When doing long-distance, my tips are to talk every day, try to see each other twice a month, if possible, make your time together fun and special, and understand that jobs will come and go in your career, but the right partner is worth keeping in your life — so make that person a priority even if there are trade-offs in the short-term. You can make it work if you keep the big picture in mind. "

12 Jenn & Andrew

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"I am an experienced therapist, JennBeasley.com, who has years of experience and education on relationships, as well as my own experience with a successful long-distance relationship. My husband and I have been married for almost eight years and have been long-distance for years, due to military moves and deployments. There are times where he is also having to be away for his job (out of the Navy). However, we are living together now most of the week. In the past, we would make it work by making visits a priority, and we found living apart during the work week and visiting on the weekends had allowed us to decrease the average couple disagreements that we used to have about dividing household roles and feeling the pull between work and home."

13 Babs & David

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"My husband, David, is a spine surgeon in Seattle, WA (though he actually talks most people out of surgery). I am a tap dancer who lives in the San Francisco Bay area. He lives in Seattle for two weeks, then goes to the SFB area for two weeks to be with me. We've been together about 16 years, and married for 13. To make it work, we are committed to each other, plan surprises for each other, and have rituals."

14 Lina & Her Husband

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"I have been with the same guy for almost five years. The first year of dating, he went to basic training in Texas and stayed there for six months for tech school. After that, going into our second year, he was stationed in South Carolina as I lived back in Maryland, finishing up school. We Skyped or FaceTimed daily. I'd see him every few months, but then the longest distance hit and he was stationed in South Korea. We decided to get married so we wouldn't give up on each other. He spent 365 days there and seeing him when he came back home from there was the best day ever — I had never been so happy. Our relationship had constantly consisted of distance between us, but ended up making us a stronger couple, willing to face anything and everything together. Now, we live together after three-and-a-half years of long distance. I think it's important to talk and share experiences about long-distance relationships, because most people break up before even giving it a chance, and some of those people are most likely soulmates."

15 Rachael & Adam

Andrew Zaeh for Bustle

"I'm a sex educator, writer, coach, and run a blog, Hedonish — and I was in a long-distance relationship for the better part of six years — three years during college and then we were long-distance part-time for 3+ years due to work. We've now been together a little over 10.5 years, and we recently celebrated our four-year wedding anniversary. For us, when we were long-distance, the best thing had been good communication and being clear about what we needed from each other, as well as trying to take care of as much of our responsibilities as possible when we were apart. That way, we could spend the limited amount of time we had together focused on each other. We also sent each other random, affectionate texts, and that offered a lot of comfort and reassurance."

As you can see, there are certain similarities between couples in LDRs, such as trusting each other and having great communication. Of course, no two LDRs will look and operate in the same way, but as long as you and your significant other are both committed and have a system that works for you, an LDR is like anything in life: You get what you put in. And if a happy partnership and love are the result of a long-distance relationship, why not go the distance, so to speak?

9 Inspiring Long Distance Relationship Stories

Long distance relationships are hard. That’s not really news, is it? When I was moving back to the US from England, Dan and I had to decide if we wanted to stay together. We had to decide if 4,000 miles was not only worth it, but possible. I spent some time searching for inspiring long distance relationship stories on the internet, but… I didn’t find anything!

But years later, we are still together. It’s not always easy, but it’s so incredibly worth it – and ultimately, that’s what it boils down to. Making a choice every day to invest in your relationship because it’s worth it to have that person in your life, even if you can’t physically be together.

With more and more people starting long distance relationships these days, I decided to reach out to some of my fellow bloggers to share their inspiring long distance relationship stories. I’ve loved reading through their stories – many are now reunited after years apart, including myself and Dan whilst we travel on our round-the-world trip together.

I hope you enjoy these stories, and unlike my unsuccessful Google searches years ago, I hope they bring you some comfort that you’re not alone.

Alysa & Jack – one of the couples featured below!

Inspiring Long Distance Relationship Stories From Couples Around the World

1. Sarah & Dan’s Story

www.endlessdistances. com (yup, that’s right here!) | @endlessdistances

From: USA & UK

“Dan and I met in a way even romantic comedy writers would roll their eyes at (you can read more about it here). In 2013, I was studying abroad in England for a year, and he was a British student at the same university.

We met through mutual friends at a Halloween party and started dating after that. That eight month time span was the only time we’ve lived in the same town, during our entire relationship!

Since then, we’ve been in a long distance relationship until very recently. I’m not going to lie, it was rocky at the start, and we actually broke up for a few months. A 5 hour time difference is tough for anyone, and at 20 years old, that was a huge commitment. We weren’t very good at being broken up, though, and after only a few months we got back “together” – even though we were 4,000 miles apart.

After a year of international long distance, I moved back to England. I lived there for the next three years, but we were still long distance. With an hour’s drive between us, though, that didn’t seem bad at all.

Due to visa, health, and career reasons, I decided to move back to the USA in 2018. It’s been a lot easier doing the 4,000 mile distance now that we are older and more experienced at this whole crazy thing!

There are lots of ways we make our international long distance relationship work – I’ve written about it here and here. We also have tons of creative long distance “dates,” and we visit each other every 3-4 months (it helps that we’re both obsessed with traveling).

We planned our reunion for so long, and are so happy to now finally be together! Right now, we’re actually travelling on a round-the-world trip, beginning in South and Central America!”

RELATED | 27 Long Distance Date Ideas

Dan & I on a reunion trip to Prague!

2. Yasmin & Abdulahi’s Story

@ohyasmintravels

From: North Carolina & North Dakota

“Being long-distance is the truest test of time, but for my soon to be husband (yay!) and I, our long-distance story never had a short distance side. We met in June 2019 online, got to chatting, and within a few days we could not stop talking to each other. I would wake up excited to talk to him the whole day and get to know him more.

He lived in North Dakota and I was in North Carolina. While time zone wise it was not difficult, we were completely miles and miles away.

He came down to visit me in July, and it was amazing. We were exactly the same, had the same views and values, truly felt a life long partner within each other.

By October (the second time he came down to visit), we were engaged! Both of our families are Somali and in our culture, its always encouraged to not wait too long, and for this, we were totally on board! We planned on another visit but the pandemic started (and the flight cost the same to Europe), we decided to hold off and just continue planning for the wedding.

During this latter half, we really began to feel the distance and truly start to feel incomplete when not together, but we always were grateful to have an end goal and an approaching date where we knew we would be together physically!

We are getting married now on our one year anniversary from when we met, which sadly we will have a small ceremony, but we are most happy to dissolve the long-distance and start our lives together. ”

Yasmin & Abdulahi – engaged to be married!

3. Lauren & Octavio’s Story

www.laurenonlocation.com | @laurenonlocation

From: USA & Venezuela

“Octavio and I met back when we were living and working in Santiago, Chile over two years ago now. At that point, I had been living in Chile for two and a half years working for a US based startup. Octavio, from Venezuela, had been transferred to Santiago for a work assignment.

We connected right away. Even though our conflicting international travel plans and complicated schedules worked their very hardest to keep us apart, we somehow always found time for each other. Shortly after meeting though, Octavio was informed that he was being transferred again, this time to Panama.

In those moments we weren’t really sure how to move forward with our relationship. We had both been in long-distance relationships before, and so we were no strangers to the challenges and complexities that come along with one.

Still, it just seemed to be one of those cliche when you know, you know situations. And so, we decided we’d try our best to make it work.

Our long-distance relationship definitely had its ups and downs. There were times that we lived on separate continents and battled significant differences in time zones. There were times that we questioned our future together, not knowing how we’d ever be able to live in the same place.

But throughout it all, we worked really hard to keep our relationship growing in the right direction, to organize creative Facetime date nights and continue getting to know each other. Eventually we decided to intentionally make the choices that would bring us back together.

A year and a half later, and here we are, newly living together in our beloved city of Madrid.”

Lauren and Octavio – now reunited in Madrid!

4. Alysa & Jack’s Story

www.voyagingherbivore.com | @voyagingherbivore

From: USA & UK

“The timing could not have been more perfect. I had just moved to London for a semester abroad at King’s College and Jack had just moved for work. We were both new to the city and ready for all that London had to offer!

We met on a dating app called Hinge (one of my favorites because you can filter by height!) and decided to go out for drinks. The date must have lasted seven or eight hours and ended with a magical kiss by the Thames.

We continued dating and drank and ate our way through London’s vegan food scene and amazing nightlife. I should have known that I was a goner when on our second date he took an Uber across town during his lunch break to find me a vegan Boston cream donut.

This was all because I had mentioned that I hadn’t had one in years. Somehow, he managed to get the bouncer to let him into the ping pong bar we were planning to meet at with the donut.

It was only a few dates in that we were both head over heels for each other. In May, we decided to take a weekend trip to the Lake District. This was just before I was scheduled to leave. We hadn’t discussed what would happen but after a magical weekend, a few drinks, and a lot of gushy talks we decided that it was worth giving long distance a shot.

Flash forward two years and we’ve conquered long distance. Nothing beats the feeling of seeing him after a matter of months apart but I’m happy to say that we’re done with that part of our lives. Now, we’re full time travelers who focus on ethical, sustainable, and plant-based travel!”

RELATED | Let Me be Your Tour Guide: Hotels, Apps and Things to do in London!

Alysa & Jack – traveling the world together!

5. Cat & Kev’s Story

www.fortwoplz.com | @fortwoplz

From: Taiwan & Canada

“People say love will find you when you least expect it. That’s exactly what happened to me and Kev. Our story started all the way back in 2011 in my home country, Taiwan.

At that time, I just started on my first job and like many other fresh graduates, I put my heart and soul into work. Getting into a relationship wasn’t really my priority.

That summer, however, a Canadian friend with whom I went to school in Vancouver paid me a visit. Along with her were her fellow classmates who came for a summer exchange. Among them was my now-husband, Kev.

No, we didn’t hit it off right away. Actually, it was quite the contrary. I had no impression of him whatsoever; he just wasn’t my type. The turning point actually happened when his friend misdialed my number and invited me out.

His witty and caring personality attracted me, and the fact that he doesn’t speak Mandarin, won him several “dates” later on. I became his tour guide during his time in Taiwan. From the trendy XiMenDing district to the old town of Jiufen, we explored many parts of the country and made new memories together.

One month had passed and inevitably it was time to say goodbye. I decided to give it a shot even though I was not a big fan of long-distance relationships. To a 23-year-old, there wasn’t much to lose, was there?

Thanks to modern technology, we were able to fight through 15 hours of time difference. Emails and Skype kept our relationship alive for two solid years.

In 2013, I made the bold move to relocate in Calgary, Canada – a city I had never visited before. Despite having to deal with some serious culture shock, I am glad we could finally put an end to our long-distance relationship.”

Cat & Kev!

6. Nina & Jose’s Story

www.theexpater.com | @theexpater

From: UK & Spain

“I’m British and I met the love of my life, a Spaniard, in Belgium. It was rather fitting to meet in Brussels, one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.

I got tired of my job in the European Parliament, perhaps I out grew it, or it was never right for me. So I took off for an adventure in Lebanon.

Since then we lived apart on and off for years. I volunteered in Syria, my then boyfriend completed his MBA in Spain, I worked in London while he lived in China. Our paths never seemed to cross over.

We had no plan for maintaining our long distance relationship. And it fell apart.

After one break up and one make up, we eventually took the plunge and got married. We vowed any long distance between us would be temporary only, with a start and an end date.”

Nina & Jose – now married and together!

7. Carolann & Nick’s Story

www.findingithaka.com | @findingithaka

From: USA (separated in Hawaii & a submarine!)

“I met my husband, Nick, in college. After graduation, we spent 5 years in a long distance relationship. I stayed in New York to work and go to grad school while he went to Washington state to work on a submarine for the US Navy. He was deployed five times.

This was the hardest point in our relationship. We could write emails occasionally, but other than that, there’s no communication on a submarine. But, I knew that if we could get through that, we could get through anything. And we did.

We finally got married, and the Navy moved us to Hawaii. I called this our “two year honeymoon” because we were finally together, and in paradise of all places! We got to make up for lost time.

I was worried it would be difficult for us to go from hardly ever seeing each other to living together, in a new place where neither of us knew anyone. But starting over like that really helped us bond.

After a few years, he had to go back on a submarine. We spent a lot of time apart during those years even though we “lived” in the same place.

In the military, similar to long distance relationships, the lows can be low but the highs are so high. For me, the high was visiting Nick on a port call in Guam. And there is no better feeling than that homecoming hug. I wouldn’t have had these amazing experiences without the hard parts that came with them.

Now we live near Washington, DC, with our baby girl, and Nick has no plans to deploy again!”

Carolann & Nick in Hawaii!

8. Justine & Dom’s Story

www.livinghyphen.ca | @justineabigail | @livinghyphen

From: Canada & UK

“Dom and I met back in 2014, long before we became a couple. We met traveling around Banff, Alberta, Canada. Dom told me he was moving to Toronto for a few months, which is where I live, and I said I’d show him around.

We met up a few times as friends but nothing more happened. He moved back to the UK and we stayed friends.

Fast forward to 2017 and Dom came back to Canada for a two-week visit, and that’s when our romance really started. He asked if he could “crash on my couch” (ha!) and we ended up spending every second of his vacation together. We were head over
heels in love with each other!

To complicate matters, Dom wasn’t just headed back to the UK after his vacation, he was on his way to Vietnam where he planned to teach English for the next little while. We made no promises to each other after he left Toronto because we would just be so far apart. I thought maybe it was just a really incredible fling!

But of course, it didn’t end that way. When he left, we ended up talking all day every day, until one day, we decided to give our relationship a real shot. And the rest is history! We ended up in a long-distance relationship for two years taking turns visiting each other in Toronto and Saigon, and going on vacations in his home in the UK and my home in the Philippines.

We finally closed the gap last July and we’ve been living together in Toronto ever since. We’ve been enjoying this new phase of our relationship – discovering new parts of each other and navigating shared space. I keep thinking about how wild it is that we went from almost never seeing each other to being the only person we see 24/7. But I wouldn’t have it any other way!”

Justine & Dom!

9. Tara & Luke’s Story

www. sillylittlekiwi.com | @sillylittlekiwi

From: USA & UK

“I met Luke in 2015 in Luang Prabang, Laos, while we were both volunteering. I had a boyfriend at the time, and neither of us were interested in each other as anything more than friends. A year passed and we fell out of touch.

In 2016, I got a job as a Women’s Empowerment Project Coordinator back in Luang Prabang. I arrived ready to start my new job amongst the dense Laotian jungle, fresh from a breakup. After finding out my baggage had been misplaced, a very sweaty me walked through the arrivals doors to a wide-eyed Luke waiting to pick me up and take me to my new digs.

It turns out he had been working in Luang Prabang with the same organization who had hired me. We worked closely together, living in the same house and sharing dinners late at night with one another. Our friendship turned into a relationship. Then, I returned to the U.S. because my contract was up.

We continued to be close friends while we were apart. We confided in one another and grew closer despite the physical distance between us. One day, Luke sent me a text that said plainly, “Let’s travel the world together.” That was the only sign I needed. I booked a ticket and we were off to Myanmar, Indonesia, and 28 other countries.

Even after that we have had long bouts of distance: me in China and him in the U.K., me in the U.K. and him in Laos. For months at a time we were separated and relied on FaceTime dates to keep us feeling connected.

Finally, last October, he decided he didn’t want to do distance any longer. He proposed.

During the beginning of lockdown, I was in New Zealand. My 3-week trip became a two-month stay. We were once again separated because Luke was at home in the U.K.. I know the distance has only made us stronger, but I cannot wait to share more adventures together when the world opens back up.”

Tara & Luke!

In a long distance relationship? You’re not alone!

All those years ago, Dan and I felt super alone in our decision to pursue a cross continental long distance relationship. But now, we know that definitely wasn’t the case!

More and more, I see my friends, peers, and especially fellow travel bloggers and writers share about their decision to start long distance relationships. I mean, the more you travel, chances get higher you’re going to fall in love with someone who doesn’t necessarily live anywhere near you.

I hope you found these long distance relationship stories inspiring and comforting. If you want to read more about how to actually make a long distance relationship work, head over to my post on our top tips for doing just that. And if you want some really actionable advice, also check out our 27 favorite long distance date ideas.

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“There were 6 thousand kilometers and 5 hours of time difference between us”: three stories about relationships at a distance

Imagine: you met a person on the Internet and fell in love, but he lives on the other side of the world. Or your partner got a good job offer, but he will have to move to another city. What to do: continue the relationship or end? Is there a future for such communication? We spoke to three people who were in a similar situation.

Story 1. “It was like an easy family life”

Ekaterina Sorokina

Dating at a distance of two years. We saw the young man every weekend, the journey took three hours by minibus.

How we met

I got to know my future husband Pasha thanks to a friend. She had many good things to say about him. I decided to meet and came up with a whole plan.

I was then 18 years old. In winter, the girls and I got together to ride the hill like children, and called him, and he agreed. The plan worked: they arranged everything as if it were a completely random meeting. We rode together and talked. At one point, he said: “Come on me?” I went down the hill right on top of him, and that was the start of everything. Then he joined me on social networks, and we began to correspond and meet.

How the relationship started

At first I liked Pasha because of the funny stories that my girlfriend told and his looks: I saw him in photographs. And when we began to communicate and walk, a common interest manifested itself, and the further, the stronger.

It has always been important for me to have the same views. Pasha was hooked by the fact that he could tell me much more than I know. I always wanted a man to be smarter. I myself know a lot of useless facts, but if he knows even more, that's great.

We dated for a year and a half, and then Pasha left. The fact is that he is a game designer, and it is difficult to find such a job in the regions of Belarus. Initially, he managed to work in my city - Polotsk, and then remotely. But the company said that it was necessary to go to the office, which is located in Minsk. There was no choice left.

We knew it would be a long time, because I needed to graduate from the university. And there was no chance that Pasha would be able to return to Polotsk. With each new position, his income increased, and a return to Polotsk would have rolled him back.

We didn't feel like it was over now. It was just hard to imagine how things would turn out. But we decided that we would try this.

He left and we started seeing each other on weekends when he came to my city. I was then 19 years old, and only at almost 22 I graduated from the university. All this time we met at a distance.

What it's like to meet at a distance

Our relationship at some point became a routine: I knew that he would arrive on Saturday and leave on Sunday. We have a specific daily routine: at such a time we should meet, cook dinner and spend the night.

Illustration: Anna Guridova / Lifehacker

It was like an easy family life. Sometimes we went for a walk, and sometimes we stayed at home and watched a movie. On Sunday, we managed to wake up, have some breakfast, and it was already necessary to say goodbye. You won't be able to do much during this time.

Such a regimen may seem difficult to some. Especially for those who strive for dynamics and diversity in relationships. But I have always valued emotional stability. And I still felt feelings, care and warmth despite the distance. We both knew it wasn't forever.

While Pasha and I were in different cities, we talked on the phone and corresponded on the Internet. But we were not one of those couples who spend all the years talking all night long.

At some point, relationships are no longer the peak of emotions. You talk, share what happened during the day, say goodbye and go to bed.

Sometimes it was necessary to give up personal interests and set priorities. Sometimes on the weekend I wanted to plan something, like a trip. I was doing historical reconstruction then. Usually the festivals were held on weekends: on one the first part takes place, and on the next - the second. I understood that then we would not see each other for three weeks, and I abandoned my plans. For me, relationships are more important in any case, and I have always tried to look at such things through the eyes of a partner. If he did this to me, would I be pleased? If I understand that it is not, then I do not commit such acts.

It was hard for Pasha to spend six hours on the road there and back every weekend. You seem to be doing nothing while you are driving, but you are still exhausted and do not feel that you have rested. Plus, he sometimes had to go to relatives in his hometown. As a result, on weekdays he worked, and on weekends he was constantly on the road.

Relatives approved of our relationship. My mother always liked Pasha. But sometimes she began: “Aren't you afraid? Where is he now?" I always brushed aside this, because no, I'm not afraid. We had 100% trust in our relationship and no jealousy, because if a person wants to leave or change, he will do it, even if you are together 24 hours a day.

How they came together

In Belarus, there is still a mandatory distribution for those who studied for free. After graduating from the university, I had to work for another two years and be away from Pasha. So we decided to get married. Married students should be allocated according to their spouse's place of residence or work, or they should be given a free diploma that does not oblige them to work for their studies on a budget.

This somewhat forced events, because of which we had conflicts. But we managed, got married, I packed my things and moved to Minsk with a free diploma. Since then we have been living together for four years.

A lot has changed since we moved in together. We had to adapt to each other's everyday habits. Of course, initially for many people this stage causes irritation. You sigh and try to gently talk to the person. He also speaks, and you agree.

But still it was nice that finally the weekend is the weekend. We are together, and there is no need to rush anywhere and leave. There were a lot of positive emotions, and all these household ointments were almost not noticed.

We are together, and together everything is not so scary.

What is the result

I don't see our story as a romantic feat. This is just a stage with its own difficulties, which, perhaps, were more than in ordinary relationships.

There are often times when you need a person here and now. Not over the phone, but in real. But there's no way you can get it. You see less of your partner's life, and for jealous people, this can be especially hard.

We were helped by the thought that this is not forever. Plus, we often saw each other and were in touch. I knew that the person was also looking forward to meeting. And when you feel his feelings, then you have no doubts. Because of this, you endure everything.

From the pros: after the wedding, Pasha was sent on a business trip to China for a whole month, and we survived the separation much easier. But this is a forced experience, not something really positive.

Tips for those who started a relationship at a distance

The most important advice: do not try to control the person too much. Someone may have such impulses. This will greatly harm your relationship.

Evaluate your actions as you would yourself react to such actions on the part of your partner. At a distance, he may feel that your relationship and feelings are more fragile. Therefore, you need to help your loved one be self-confident and not give him reasons for jealousy.

Story 2. “Now I would never start a relationship at a distance”

August Völker

Met a girl from another city on the Internet and met her at a distance for a year.

How we met

We were 16 years old. She lived in Ufa, which is 2,100 kilometers from my city, Pskov. We ended up in the same VKontakte conversation based on a video game that we both really enjoyed. So a relationship began, which over time became more and more dense.

On her birthday, a girl wrote to me that she was celebrating it in splendid isolation. I suggested a Skype call. From that moment on, we periodically talked via video link, but we talked not only about video games, but also about life in general.

How the relationship began

We realized that there was something more between us when we started discussing various indecent things. We became attracted to each other, and calling every day became almost an obligation. One of us said, "Now we must get married." It was a joke, but we became more serious about each other and considered it our sacred duty to be faithful.

We lived like this for half a year, after which we decided to meet. We chose romantic St. Petersburg for this. We spent a couple of weeks there and realized that we became very attached to each other. It seemed to us that our history is unique and we will start a relationship despite the fact that we are separated by thousands of kilometers.

When we went back home, we experienced a range of different emotions: from euphoria from the meeting to longing for a loved one who was again far away.

What it's like to meet at a distance

We had many rituals, such as nightly Skype meetings. And every morning they called up for 10 minutes to wish a good day. On weekends, we talked for 7-8 hours via video link, literally went to parks and cafes with a mobile phone.

Online relationships are as romantic as real ones. When you constantly communicate via video link, you become a little more frank. We knew the hidden fears and dreams of a partner. We collected each other love-boxes with pleasant little things, signed them and decorated them. They kept special calendars and counted the days until meetings. Maybe now I'm just matured, but in real life I would be embarrassed to act like that.

I sent flowers to her address. It was always a surprise for her. And she could pay for my purchase in a video game or order a sweatshirt in an online store. We pleased each other not only with material things, but also, for example, dedicated poems.

Everything was like in a real relationship, but not quite real.

Of course, we also stimulated sexual interest: we sent intimate photos to each other and made video calls. We were 16 years old, and during this period the head was only full of this.

But there were also problems, such as poor internet and time zone mismatch. In addition, all communication went online, because of which there was no self-confidence during communication in real life. We looked like two freaks who ran away from everyone to sit on their phone. In my company, this was not encouraged at all, and they constantly made fun of me.

And we also had manic jealousy that went beyond any limits. At first, these were romantic little things, such as exchanging passwords from VKontakte pages, STEAM accounts and email. Then almost complete control began. The girl could visit my page at any time to find out with whom and what I was talking about, ignoring the privacy of other people. Or I said that I went out with a friend, and after returning home, I found more than 20 missed calls and angry tirades like “Oh, how could you!”.

If I heard something like this from a girl now, I would immediately stop talking. But then it seemed to me that this was normal and could not be otherwise, because this is a relationship, which means that you are not separate people, but one whole.

My jealousy for a girl was much more subtle. I was a little worried when I heard that she was going to go to a company where there are boys. But at the same time, I did not surf her page.

How we came together

We had five meetings, two or three weeks each time. We worked part-time to save money, then we found out our parents' plans, discussed the date and met. This went on for a year.

After passing the USE, we chose one university, rented an apartment and started living together even before we started studying. Everything worked out almost perfectly. Little things like cooking and cleaning became incredible fun. We were put into a trance by the very possibility of touching each other, looking and constantly talking with a loved one. We didn't even fight.

Why they broke up

The problems started from the moment I introduced her to my company. She was a home girl, read books and played the piano. And I was gouging, playing rock music with friends in the basement. My friends were addicted to soft drugs, we liked to drink every day and got into fights.

Because of my girlfriend, I began to domesticate: I preferred evening movie screenings to gatherings with friends or another rehearsal of our rock band. When I found family seriousness and calmness, I realized that I wanted to give myself to this with my head. And she, on the contrary, began to be very much carried away by my past way of life. She got into the whole topic with alcohol, drugs and registration.

We began to quarrel, move away, began to spend less time together. After one and a half to two years, relations finally began to decline.

After another quarrel, I did the right thing: I took her phone and looked at her correspondence. I saw an unfamiliar guy there, opened a dialogue and realized that they, together with this friend, were fouling me. I was emotional, collected all her clothes, woke her up in the middle of the night and threw her out the door.

Later it turned out that they had nothing romantic. It was a friendship in which she apparently found something that she no longer found in me.

Illustration: Anna Guridova / Lifehacker

We didn't part then, but it was the beginning of the end. We reconciled, but she asked for a week-long break in the relationship. In parallel with this, at a party, I kissed another girl in a drunken stupor. I thought the pause was a temporary cessation of our obligations to each other. But she said that this is a terrible betrayal that cannot be forgiven.

I took the parting very painfully. It was the first relationship. Love seemed perfect, and then all these lofty feelings crashed into harsh realities.

What we ended up with

I think both of us were not the same people we fell in love with in the first place. Internet communication creates a slightly distorted image of the interlocutor. We moved in and we were cool. But then we became more aware of ourselves and each other, and everything happened as it should have happened.

But I would not have been able to foresee these problems and avoid them if we had not met at a distance from the very beginning. Now I am older and more experienced. And when you are children, it is simply impossible to understand that something is wrong. Especially on the Internet.

I am very disappointed in this girl. But I do not regret our relationship and I am glad that I had it.

After parting, I took care of myself. It gave me an understanding of who I am and who I want to be. I had a truly unforgettable experience and became much more understanding and calm.

But now I would never have a long distance relationship. I would not wait for anyone and would not promise anything to anyone. I have too bright and good life in order to spend it forever stuck on the phone.

Advice for those who started a relationship at a distance

Run! And if without jokes, then people in such relationships need to be much more serious and mature than everyone around. Always think ahead. Don't expect anything from the person you're talking to online, and be prepared to get to know them all over again when you do.

But most importantly, ignore other people's opinions. Stand your ground and show what you can. They joked about me and said that nothing would work out, and after parting, each of my friends ran after my ex-girlfriend with flowers.

Trust that everything will work out. And if the person on the other side agrees with your opinion, is ready to wait and fight for a relationship, then everything will turn out better than ever. But if something goes wrong, don't blame yourself. Perhaps your partner was not ready.

Story 3. “With tears in our eyes, we tried to delay time in order to get enough of each other as much as possible”

Elena Smirnova

Dated a young man from another country for four years.

How we met

Grisha and I met in the summer of 2013 in an online game. I wrote in the general chat: "Hi. " The players began to chat, and he was among them.

Grisha asked how old I was. I answered that I was 19. He said: "Great, I'm a year older, which means that with me you will always be young." It was after this stupid phrase that I remembered him very well.

At first, our communication was only about the game. But gradually we switched to personal topics, became interested in each other, and in September 2013 we first called on Skype.

We talked about everything and enjoyed it so much that we didn't want to stop. In the process, it turned out that we live very far from each other: I am in Belarus, and he is in Russia - in Irkutsk. There were 6,000 kilometers between us and a five hour time difference. It was very difficult to dock: if it’s evening for me, then it’s already night, or I just woke up, and it’s already the middle of the day.

How the relationship began

Over time, we realized that there was more between us than just sympathy. We began to move on to love topics, flirting, coming up with cute nicknames for each other. And in the end, in the winter, we decided that we had a relationship.

We wanted to see each other and gradually began to prepare relatives for this. Irkutsk was chosen for the first meeting. But my parents were categorically against it, and I understand them. Imagine, my daughter comes and says: “I want to go to another country, I have a young man there, and I love him!” In the end, we arranged for our parents to have a Skype conversation. After that, mine melted and were allowed to go.

I remember how my heart was pounding when I was already at the Irkutsk airport.

I was very afraid that I would turn out to be much worse than the picture on the Internet. Or that at a distance they saw me as a riddle, and now I will be uninteresting.

From the road, dusty and rumpled, I went into the airport building, and it is beautiful and with flowers. When I approached him, we hugged, kissed, and then I realized that my fears were in vain.

What it's like to meet at a distance

There were very few meetings - only four, but we tried to make them as long as possible. We planned to come to each other in turn, and already in the winter Grisha came to me.

I soon graduated from the university, and I had to go through compulsory work, which lasts two years. We were unable to solve this problem, and it crippled us greatly.

Over the course of four years of long-distance relationship, we made each other happy in different ways, for example, we sent gifts: soft toys, sweets. Grisha once even sent me a ring. I still laugh at him: they say, how were you not afraid to send such a thing via Russian Post.

Illustration: Anna Guridova / Lifehacker

We tried to devote all our free time to each other. I shifted my daily routine for a few hours in order to at least slightly reduce the time difference and be able to be with my loved one.

Sexual life was organized in Skype, and then in instant messengers. When they met, everything was live, but apart, they also really wanted closeness, so they coped as best they could.

We had no reason to be jealous. We believed each other and were calm, especially since both are home people. We didn't have any fights over distance either. We understood that it did not depend on us, and we were hostages of the situation.

Looking back, I wonder how we survived. It is very difficult when you do not have the opportunity to meet at any time. It is banal to approach a person, sit down together and be silent.

The most difficult period was when we didn't see each other for more than a year.

I was thinking of finishing everything. The young man is far away, work has begun and autumn - everything has piled up together.

Grisha helped me cope with these thoughts. He did not give up, constantly called and reached out to me. And closer to winter, I found out when I would have a vacation, and I lived with the thought only of him, counting the days to come.

After I finished my work, I sorted out the documents, packed my things and immediately moved to Irkutsk. And a year later we got married - just on the fifth anniversary of our acquaintance, on July 3rd. And we have been living together for more than three years.

What is the result

I perceive this time more as a test and see two big disadvantages of such a relationship. The first is the huge distance and time difference. The realization that there are 6,000 kilometers between you is very pressing. The second is the lack of intimacy, and not only intimate. I want to support each other, hold hands, hug and stay close. Nothing could fill this void inside.

But there are pluses. Long-distance relationships allowed us to look at problems differently. The fact that we are far from each other and it is not known how long this will last immediately made other difficulties less significant. And it also helped to check how serious we are. And thanks to the distance, we have learned to solve difficulties through dialogue.

We had a lot of cute things in our relationship. For example, I remember how our eyes find each other in the crowd, we go towards each other, we feel the first touch and the emotions that fill us. It's all incredible. Even parting was touching. With tears in our eyes, we tried to delay the time in order to get enough of each other as much as possible, and promised to definitely meet again.

Our couple even had their own tradition - before leaving, to hide small notes in each other's things. And when it was really sad, we said where they are. It was very nice to find handwritten "I love you."

Advice for those who started a relationship at a distance

Such relationships have a future when there are feelings, patience and respect. Communicate more with each other. Try to meet as often as possible - it is very difficult to do without such recharge.

How do you feel about romance at a distance? Or maybe you yourself found yourself in such a situation? Share in the comments.

stories of those who succeeded and those who did not

Despite all the skepticism, there are people who believed or still believe that true love cannot be destroyed by any obstacles, even such global ones as distance. Life spoke with those who have experienced such relationships to understand how such couples hold on, what they hope for and what pitfalls you will encounter along the way if you decide to test separation.

Dasha, 25 years old, a year apart

We met in the first year of university, but we didn't start dating right away: I liked another guy then. And then I saw Lyosha, who had been diligently courting me all this time, and we started dating. The ideal relationship lasted six months, and then we began to quarrel all the time. Despite the constant disagreements, he refused to leave - I several times offered to break up in a good way. As a result, we just got used to each other and met throughout our studies at the university. After receiving his diploma, he stayed in the city where we studied to develop his own business. And I went to work in China for a few months: during my studies, I worked as a model, and the agency offered me to go to Guangzhou for a season for shows and filming. We did not part with Lesha - he was still against it, and for so many years I was able to really love him, as it seemed to me.

The first two months in China, everything was fine in every sense: I was approved at almost every casting, the living conditions were quite decent, I was interested in a new country, and most importantly, my boyfriend constantly wrote to me and told me how much he misses me. Probably, I would have been in happy ignorance for a very long time if my friend had not sent me a photo from a nightclub, where Lyosha, who two hours ago told me how much he misses him, was hugging some girl. So I found out that he was cheating on me almost from the first day of my departure. I was very offended, but the work, oddly enough, on the contrary, went uphill, and I was offered to stay for another six months, and then for a year. I knew perfectly well that I would hardly earn so much in my hometown, so I signed a contract and stayed in China. Throughout this time, there was a sluggish communication with the young man, during which we all the time found out which of us was to blame.

I don't know what we expected. They probably overestimated their own willpower, but I was very offended, because I really wanted to marry him. When you put in a lot of effort to maintain a relationship, try to call and see each other even in between shows, it seems that everything should be fine. But apparently this was not enough. It was very difficult for me to cope with the breakup, although formally we still maintained a relationship, although we were in a quarrel. A year later, in Asia, I was almost completely released, I arrived in general a different person. And Lyosha for some reason decided that it was time not just to make peace (despite the huge number of his betrayals), but to make me an offer if I so want it. It was very strange to see how a person whom you once loved very much, comes to your house on some kind of horse (it was really terrible!), Gets down on one knee, makes an offer, while the photographer invited by him for some reason photographs you from all sides. I was very embarrassed, but I refused him. I don’t know what was the decisive factor - betrayal or my year of living in China - but I clearly understood that this person was a complete stranger to me despite the five university years we lived together.

I now firmly believe that long distance relationships are a myth. Sometimes it destroys love, and sometimes it helps to realize the wrongness of one's own choice, as in my case. But one thing I can say for sure: a person needs a person who will be there. And abstract love, no matter how strong it may be, will not last long.

Marina, 26 years old, from two months to a year

In general, to hell with all this. It so happened that I was in such a relationship several times, there were both a year and several months, and each time ended in nothing, well, almost. My one-year long-distance relationship ended with a move to Moscow and continued for another 4 years, the rest were just muddy water and ended on their own.

I don't believe that one can be happy in such a relationship or that it can lead to anything good, it's completely unnecessary and not worth getting involved in. It's like with relationships on a dating site: read about someone else's experience, groan and move away before it's too late.

By the way, about moving: I think that it is not necessary to move after the gentleman just because he is calling you, and you have already packed your suitcase and are ready to go. You need to think very well, weigh all the pros and cons, and the pros should be more weighty than sympathy. There must be some kind of benefit, there must be something to cling to - for example, a job offer in this city. In all cases, it is safe to say that the reason for the separation was the long-distance relationship itself - these are not feelings, but some kind of torment.

Mia, 27 years old, a year away

We had been dating for three years before our long distance relationship, but then he had to move to New York for work. He was going to live there for six months, but it turned out that he stayed for a year. During this time, I came three times: at least for a week, and for a maximum of two. When I flew in for the second time, he proposed to me.

My case stands out from a number of similar ones, separation only played to our advantage and strengthened us. We had complete trust, and that's important. We both worked hard, constantly wrote off letters, talked on facetime in the evening, chatted for several months as an experiment and wrote only in English, I eventually gave up, and he continued to write in English.

Of course, he and I were bored, but it was really hard for a few days after I returned from New York to Moscow, I dropped out of life for a few days, and then again plunged into a routine, lived calmly.

A year later he returned, and this summer we got married, our relationship is now even better than before parting. Once again, I would not agree to this, and if I had to leave for more than six months, I would definitely move with him, we are a family.

Katerina, 25, 4 years at a distance of

I work in a circus, and my life consists of traveling, we work under a contract, now in one country, then in another. Circus life is like a big family, almost everyone knows each other, albeit in absentia.

I heard about him, he about me, but we didn't know each other personally. I worked in America, he is in Switzerland, and I had to move there in 1.5 years. He wrote on the Internet, I answered, well, and somehow we began to communicate. Communicate a lot, at least 3-4 hours a day on Skype. After two months of communication, I had a week off, and at his invitation I flew to him. She flew with one thought: "Whatever happens, I'm free, he too, why not." It was scary, but on arrival the feeling was very positive. After that, we parted for almost six months, and, to be honest, I didn’t really believe that this was something serious.

We continued to communicate, and I decided to check if we could succeed? Six months later, we met again and worked together for two months, which were very important in order to understand whether it was mine or not. We decided to continue, and the whole next year we saw each other in raids: I was with him for a month, then two months of separation. So we lived for a year, and then I got a contract for a year in the same circus as him. It was not easy to wait, because, of course, they often cursed because of this distance, every trip to a bar, a club, to visit immediately gave rise to jealousy, on both sides.

When we moved in together, at first every morning we reached for the phone to write each other "good morning", and then we remembered that we could not write anymore, we could just say. That was last year and it went by really fast. In 2016, we are again on the road, but we were lucky, and in 2017 we will be together again.

So that's how we live. Every weekend, and we have them once a month, we fly to each other. Of course, it would be possible to move in together completely, but then one of us would have to leave our careers. But, firstly, work in the circus is not the most durable, and such loads do not pass without consequences, and secondly, you should not miss the moment if many circuses want you, that is, your program: such a chance happens only once, and, If I end my career now, I will never be able to return. I am an aerial gymnast, and he is an acrobat, and we will not be able to put on a joint number either. And, discussing our plans, we decided that it would not be fair to me for me to drop everything and sit down at home to cook pasta for him (he is Italian).

In general, what we decided: after a joint 2017, we will part ways again, for a couple of years. I will work, I will work, and when I am ready, I will inform him about it. He told me more than once that he would not want to hear such a phrase from me in the future - "Because of you, I quit my job and did not make a career." And he's right.

Distance, of course, is not the most pleasant thing. There must be trust, if you do not decide for yourself that you unconditionally trust a person, then nothing will come of it. Well, again, I repeat, the more often you see each other, the better, even if it is one day or even an evening. Would I get involved in this again? Honestly, I don't even know. It's hard, and sometimes you want to quit everything, come to him and sit on his neck. But these are all emotions, I have practically learned to cope with them. Sometimes it works out.

Alina, 20 years old, 2 months apart

We met abroad, worked together in the same company. We were one of the few Russian speakers in our city and really liked each other almost at first sight. Therefore, we began to meet very soon, and literally in a month and a half or two months we completely came together. We worked and lived together for almost two years and even began to think about the wedding. But the plans changed a little when the employer decided not to renew the contract with us for the third time, and we went to our cities and countries - I went to Ukraine, to the city of Krivoy Rog, and he returned to his native Kaliningrad. This is how our long distance relationship began.

Yes, we are each in our own city now, but that doesn't change anything, because our relationship had reached a serious level before leaving. Upon arrival, we bought an apartment in Kaliningrad with joint money. Dima has already made repairs there. Our parents have long met and understand the whole situation, so they helped me in every possible way to prepare for moving to Russia - in a week, Dima and I will finally be living together again.

All this time, we called each other every day, talked. We tried to communicate more often on Skype, so as not to be so bored. In the past month and a half, we had two very strong quarrels, although there was no reason as such - we just missed each other, and this caused such strong outbursts of anger.

Long distance relationships are very difficult. But I think that during this time our relationship has really grown stronger. Now we say almost every day that we love each other and miss each other very much. And before, when they lived together, the words "I love you" were almost impossible to hear. In addition, it helped us a lot that we were really busy all this time: I was looking for a job for us, preparing to move, and he tried to make the apartment cozy and livable as quickly as possible.

I did not expect that Dima would try so hard to create a family: every day he told me at what stage the renovation was at, asked me what I would like to see in our apartment. If earlier we were just a guy and a girl who like each other, then long-distance relationships have shown that we are practically a family.

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