[PhoenixAzul]

I feel like I need to write an informational pamphlet on the subject of long distance relationships. I've been in one for six years, five of those being long distance. I went to undergrad in OH while my BF was in PA. I took a study abroad thing to Northern Ireland. And now we're engaged and I live in Scotland (yeah, not ideal, but whatever).

The basic thing is to not get caught up in the "blame game". as in, "if you weren't doing x, than we could be together!". And if you're the jealous type, than it can really eat you up. We realize that our being away from each other gives us time to work on our selves as individuals, and we bring that enrichment and those experiences back to the relationship and make it stronger. Being engaged and away from each other pretty much sucks the big one, but it is for the benefit of our relationship in the long run (me getting a higher ed degree here means we can both immigrate here together, and i have better employment prospects in the UK/Europe). Do I miss him? Yes, desperately. But does it make the time we spend together better? Definitely. And it really taught us how to communicate better with each other and be honest with how we were feeling. And we learned to write really good love letters.

It can work, it just *takes* work.