A Long Distance Relationship
Can Work...With A Little Effort

• Ask the important questions at the beginning of the relationship so both of you know what to expect.

• Asking these tough questions early on will save you a lot of pain later down the road.

• "Are you open to the possibility of relocating if the relationship should become more serious?"

• Communicate in some way every day...and 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 have to be long, in-depth conversations (though those should occur sometimes).

• Ask each other for advice.

• Use an instant messenger program or VoIP for real-time chat, or webcams for that visual connection.

• While instant messaging and emails play a large role in long distance relationships, remember that they can in no way replace verbal communication.

• Email is a great way to send a little "thinking of you" love message, especially if long-distance phone calls put a strain on your budget.

• Try mailing a love card or a love ecard.

• Send small romantic gifts or flowers for no reason.

• Pursue common interests, even if it means pursuing them apart.

• If there's a movie (see romantic movies and romantic comedies) you're both interested in seeing, watch it individually and then call each other afterward and talk about it.

• Read a certain book (see romance book) at the same time.

• Stargaze while on 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.

• Avoid the temptation to be controlling. 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 or two blocks over.

• 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.