Pros and Cons of Long Distance Relationships (Part 2)

There are so many different pros and cons of long distance relationships…

I’ve been in a long distance relationship since 2015, so I can honestly say that there are tons of more pros than cons! However, it’s important to share both the good and the bad that comes with entering this type of relationship.

Long distance isn’t easy… Not being able to see your partner as much as you’d like can seriously take a toll on your happiness. ‘Normal’ relationships are where partners can just stop by each other’s homes whenever they please, or even have a last-minute date night. When you’re in a long distance relationship, you can’t just do all of that stuff because your partner doesn’t live near you. In my case, my partner lives 3,500 miles away! So, unfortunately, unplanned date nights are definitely not an option for us!

Let’s talk about the pros and cons of long distance relationships…

PROS:

1. You’ll always have something to talk about.

Sometimes when couples spend endless time together, they run out of things to talk about. However, because you don’t get to see your partner as often as you want, you’ll always have things to talk about once you see each other again. Even  on your phone calls when you’re apart, you’ll have tons of topics to speak about. You can talk about what you got up to for the day, how things at work were, etc.

2. You have time to miss them

This may sound a bit odd! When your partner lives close to you, or you see them multiple times a week, you don’t really have time to miss each other. When I first got into my long distance relationship and my partner had to go back overseas, my mom told me to think of it as a positive. She said, “Now you have time to miss him.” I never fully understood what she meant until I got a bit older, but it’s true! Missing them is a good thing!

3. You have more time to focus on yourself

When you’re away from your partner, you’ll have more time to do what you like to do, and more time to focus on being independent. Whether it’s continuing a hobby you started, working to make more money for your next trip, or even just chilling in bed watching the Bachelor, you can do literally whatever you want! This is your time!

CONS:

1. You may feel jealous

While being apart, you and your partner will be doing your own things. Your partner may go out to a bar, or hang out with friends, and sometimes, that could spark jealousy. Some people don’t enjoy their partner going out without them, and it’s not exactly fair to tell them they can’t go out! So, you might start to feel jealous of certain people or situations surrounding your partner.

2. More effort is required

Long distance relationships require a ton of effort. You need to call your partner at least once a day, spend money on going to visit them, take time off of work so you can take those vacations, etc. So, you definitely need to be willing to put in as much effort as you possibly can. If one of you doesn’t put in the equal amount of effort as the other, then the relationship could potentially fail.

3. Time zones

If your relationship is like mine, then you and your partner live in two different time zones. My partner lives in the UK, and I live in New York, so he is 5 hours ahead of me. By the time I wake up, he’s already had breakfast, lunch, and done most of his activities for the day. Then, when I’m making dinner, he’s in bed sleeping, so it’s definitely not an ideal situation. Time zones can sometimes make or break relationships… You both need to come up with schedules, so you can figure out the best times to talk.

Those were some pros and cons of long distance relationships!

I’d love to hear about other pros and cons of long distance relationships that you can personally think of. Like I mentioned earlier, the pros definitely outweigh the cons, so don’t let the few cons scare you! Long distance relationships CAN work!

So, just have faith, put in the effort, make time for each other, and your relationship will succeed. Love is greater than distance!