Long distance relationships are notoriously hard. What makes them harder is if you fall for someone who lives in a different country. There are many reasons a relationship might be separated by countries – work, holiday romances, gap year romances, or just meeting your love online, but these reasons shouldn’t stop the relationship from working.
Whenever I speak to my friends in long distance relationships, they always cite the distance as the most difficult bit. I can’t imagine not seeing my husband every day, but I know that’s a reality for many.
After doing my research amongst friends who are in these long-distance relationships, some pretty common answers came up. Here’s the most cited reasons for how to make long distance relationships work when you’re separated by countries.
Treat every visit like a holiday
Life’s too short to do all the mundane stuff when you’re meeting up with your beau. It’s likely that you’re taking it in turns to visit each other and only taking leave from work when it’s your turn to travel. This means you can see each other twice as much as if you both use your paid leave to meet up.
Doing things this way tends to mean that one of you is waiting all day for the other one to finish work. The temptation then is to live as you normally would. Things like spending the evening washing your socks or watching a Coronation Street marathon just won’t cut it .
Your love is finally here! Don’t waste time doing boring things. Instead, make plans for every day your partner is visiting. Make their stay feel like they’ve come away on holiday, and that’s how they should treat yours too. Book a table at a fancy restaurant, see a show, visit the trendy bars. Cram as much enjoyment as you can into a visit to keep the magic alive.
Close the distance and get married
Often, the reason the relationship stays long distance is that you can’t both stay in the same place while your relationship develops. Most countries have rules about living and working there, meaning your partner can’t arrange an extended stay.
Getting married usually means you can both live in the same country (whichever country you prefer), meaning the relationship no longer has to be long distance. Research the laws of the country you plan on moving to, as they’re bound to have different rules. You don’t want to be faced with an unexpected spouse Visa refusal because you didn’t check how things work.
Let them know you’re thinking of them
Another common thought in long distance relationships is how much people miss their partner. The ache of the person you love being miles away can take a toll on the relationship and lots of reassurance might be needed. It’s important that both partners let the other one know how much their thoughts are taken up by the one they love.
While sending gifts is always lovely, it can get expensive when you’re posting things abroad (and even receiving gifts can have a customs charge). Simple things like emails, texts and video calls can can mean the world to a partner who is missing you from across the continent.