I had my first boyfriend when I was 17. He lived in the same city as me; in fact, just five blocks away from me. At 20, I was dating another guy, he also lived just minutes away from me. Fast forward four years later, and 24-year-old me was in a long distance relationship with someone in Nicaragua. Not even in another city! I know, it's aggressive.
Believe it or not, that was my longest relationship thus far—five years.
It's weird, but for some reason, I found long-distance love to be my thing. From 20 to 24, I also tried dating guys from the Central American country that I'm from. My friends and family had questions about having bae in another country, but here's what I found to be true.
1. You Have Time For Yourself
This is probably the thing I love the most about long distance love: both parties have time for themselves... like, a lot of time! This also means I have time for family, friends, and my personal projects. Of course, I miss bae on the daily, but this is wonderful.
2. Insecurity Is Real AF
It happens in every relationship, but imagine being miles away from that special someone? You don't really know where they go, who they go with, and what they're doing—even if they claim to have "fallen asleep early". It's frustrating.
3. You Learn How To Build Trust
With that said, a long distance relationship has helped me to build trust. If bae says he's "falling asleep early," I have no choice to believe them and vice versa.
4. It's An Investment
This is an investment. You invest money on long distance calls. You invest money on plane tickets. You invest money on trips. You invest money on gifts to be sent to their house.
5. Technology Is Key
Bless Skype, WhatsApp, Facetime, Facebook Messenger, and all of those useful apps for helping me communicate with bae on the reg.
6. Cyber Sex Is Totally A Thing
Excuse my French, but how else do you expect me to f*ck!?
7. You Dedicate 100% To Them In Person
I've gotten so much sh*t for hanging out with my boyfriend too much or inviting him everywhere I go, but you're damn right that I'm going to be stuck with them when he's in town or vice versa. The case would be different if he lived in the same city, but it's not. Those two weeks or even two months, is the only time I get to be with them until we meet again.
8. Sorry (Not Sorry) If My Video Call Bothers You!
I've also gotten shit for always accepting a video call from bae when I'm at a getty or having wine night with the girls. But c'mon guys, he just wants to say hi!
9. It's Emotionally Exhausting
As much as I say this long distance thing is a great idea, it also takes a toll on me. Imagine spending Valentine's Day, Christmas, birthdays, and National Beer Day without them? It sucks.
10. But It's Worth It
Hey! It's not my fault that my SO is on the other side of the ocean. All I know is that it's worth it.
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