Well, I'm a newbie to the world of long distance relationships, and I have to say, so far it's been tough. I was wondering if any of you would be able to give some advice or even share some stories.....

My thoughts are, if you love each other enough, you should be able to make it through anything, but maybe that's just me being a hopeless romantic

Time and distance are enemies of fond memories, just as it is for bad ones. People naturally drift apart when separated for long periods of time. There are a lot of people who never remarry after losing a spouse, especially after a long marriage, but I think that's different.

Nice to see all ya'll!

i don't think that distance is the enemy it is the mindset that the individuals have that detirmines the outcome of the relationship. but no matter what happens in the relationship if it is bad you can always use the distance as the scapegoat!!!

i dont think its possible to have a good relationship without physical contact. i dont mean sex, but it has to be there. without that, whats the difference between that person and a friend? you have all read those posts listing all the cute and mooshy stuff couples do. as cheesy as it may seem, its true. you do need to hold hands, you do need to tickle her, you do need to hug, to kiss. that just the way it is.

take of that what you will. just my 2 cents.

my ex-gf screwed around w/ my ex-best friend when i was at boot camp, that sucks.

I was in a long-distance relationship for the last six months of my active duty enlistment. 16 years later I'm in my 15th year of marriage with that lady. To be honest, I've felt farther away from my wife the last couple of years than I did during that 6 month period. Our secret was to be overly communicative, at least one card every week (that was before email), and a phone call every week or so.

I don't mean talk, talk, talk. I mean really sharing thoughts, ideas, dreams. Set goals just like you would if you two were seeing each other all the time. Don't allow your relationship to live off memories: share new experiences with each other. Heck, people develop relationships all the time these days over the Internet. Email and chat rooms can help a lot.

Good luck!

Just becareful!

A very important feature of a successful long distance relationship can be a known and deadset end date. There needs to be a concrete time at which it will cease to be a long distance relationship. Other than that the other words of wisdom, especially from Ironhorseredleg, is very sound advice. Just remember relationships are as individual as the people who comprise them and you need to find what works for you two.

Originally Posted by ironhorseredleg

Our secret was to be overly communicative, at least one card every week (that was before email), and a phone call every week or so.

Well, even though we've got e-mail nowadays, I still try and send my boyfriend a letter or card every week, just to let him know I'm thinking about him. It seems to work because when I get to talk to him on the phone he's always thankful for them, and he always leaves a message on my phone if I can't find time to call him...

We get to spend holidays together, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc, and I'm hoping it's enough to get us through the next little while that we have to spend apart....

Is he a member of this forum? Seems like a great place to share ideas and learn a little about how each other feels and thinks.

Just a thought.