How To Make A Long Distance Relationship Work

Long distance relationships are definitely risky, and if you are
unfortunate enough to be far away from a significant other, the prospect
of potentially ruining your relationship can seem daunting. However,
long distance relationships aren't so difficult that they're impossible.
Simple adjustments to your attitude and lifestyle can help you keep
that loved one in your life. 

Steps

1.  Ask the important questions at the onset to make sure you are both clear on the parameters of the relationship.
Setting parameters such as naming your relationship (dating, seeing
each other, boyfriend-girlfriend, engaged) as well as defining
exclusive. (limited to one person) These can be difficult and awkward
questions to ask, but will save you great heartache and misunderstanding
down the line. Example: "Are you open to the possibility of relocating
if the relationship should become more serious?" or "What are you
looking to get out of the relationship?" Stating your end goal or ideas
will allow each person to maintain what they need. 

2. Ask the important questions at the onset to make sure you are both clear on the parameters of the relationship.
Setting parameters such as naming your relationship (dating, seeing
each other, boyfriend-girlfriend, engaged) as well as defining
exclusive. (limited to one person) These can be difficult and awkward
questions to ask, but will save you great heartache and misunderstanding
down the line. Example: "Are you open to the possibility of relocating
if the relationship should become more serious?" or "What are you
looking to get out of the relationship?" Stating your end goal or ideas
will allow each person to maintain what they need. 

3. Communicate in some way every day, more than once if possible.
Since you won't be seeing each other, it's important to establish and
maintain an emotional connection. These don't always have to be long,
in-depth conversations. Tell each other about your little triumphs and
tragedies. Ask on for advice. Use an instant messenger programs Such as BBM, Whatsapp, 2go, etc or web cams for that visual connection. Send small gifts, cards, or send flowers
for no reason. In this case, quantity is as important as quality. You
may discover an advantage over others whose partner is close at hand—you
don't take communication for granted!

4. Pursue common interests, even if it means pursuing them apart.
If there's a movie you're both interested in seeing, watch it
individually and then call each other afterward and talk about it. Read a
certain book at the same time. Stargaze while you're on the phone. Set
your watches to go off at the same time every day, and synchronize your
alarm with that of your partner. Make it a point to think of each other
when your watch goes off, and revel in the fact that he or she is
thinking about you, too. Find creative ways to bond.

5. Avoid the temptation to be controlling. People have
free will and no one can or should control another person. As long as
you are both interested in being in the relationship, you will stick
with it and distance will not make a difference. As soon as one of you
decides the other is not a good match—or someone else is a better
match—your relationship ends, whether you live 3000 miles apart, two
streets over, or share the same bed with your wedding picture on the
wall. You are going to have to trust each other completely if this
relationship is going to work.

• It always helps if you go in a relationship with the idea that
  everyone is innocent and worthy of trust until proven otherwise. Don't
  fall in the trap of interrogating your partner every time he/she decides
  to go out for a drink with people you haven't met or he/she didn't get
  back to you right away when you called and left a message. Just because
  you are in a long-distance relationship doesn't mean your lives will
  pause.
• It's just as important make sure you are being up front with your
  partner and not leaving them room to have questions, concerns or trust
  issues. Your partner will naturally have a social life where he/she
  lives and so should you. You should both maintain your social activity
  and be happy with yourselves.

6. Talk about your goals. Support and encourage each
other. You may find that you can do things for each other that you
couldn't quite find the motivation to do on your own. Perhaps you could
motivate yourselves to get some exercise or to cook better or more
often. It will give you something to do while you wait to see your
partner again, and it will give you both something to strive for and
talk about until then. 

7. Talk about your future together. Assuming that
ultimately you'd want to live together, discussing how you're going to
get to that point will help you prove to each other that the
relationship is going somewhere and that your efforts and frustrations
are not in vain. 

8. Visit often. Try to make the time to visit each other
as often as possible or as often as your budget permits you to. A
relationship cannot thrive if the only thing you have is the phone call.
You need to see each other up close and personal every chance you get.
The key here is to set up some rules about frequency of visits and stick
to them. Consistency can help a long-distance relationship survive.

9. Be positive. Staying positive and not focusing on the
negative aspects of a long-distance relationship is essential to
keeping your relationship blooming. Being away from your sweetie is not
all bad news. Use the opportunity of personal time to pursue your
interests and hobbies as well as your career objectives. Another
positive point is that long distance dating pushes both of you to be
more creative, to communicate better since you don't have "face-to-face"
time and to test (and express) your feelings. As long as you see the
long-distance relationship as a temporary state, you will keep your chin
up and transmit that feeling of security and happiness to your partner
too.

10.  Give them a personal object
of yours so in a time of need, when they miss you, they are able to hold
on to something that once belonged to you. This will provide comfort, happiness, and the thought of being with you. 

11. Remember that you're still in a relationship.

You have to be there for your partner. If your partner is ever in
trouble, or hurt, or whatever, you have to be there for them. Make sure
you are available to them so that they can reach you if they need you.
If they end up dealing with everything alone, they will eventually not
need you. And sometimes, distance permitting of course, that means being
actually, physically there for them.

12.  Because time together is
rare, when you do see each other, take as much advantage as possible of
your ability to get intimate with each other. You don't have that
privilege during those stretches when you can’t be with each other
physically. Keep those feelings of excitement and attraction alive. 

CHEERS!!