Ahh, love. The mere thought of it can get anyone starry-eyed and turn all warm, and fuzzy inside. As your fertile imagination actively weaves your very own fairytale, reality harshly intrudes – the love of your life is living several miles away or worse, in an entirely different continent. And while the old adage says “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, any long-distance relationship advice would easily tell you, the key to your relationship’s success is definitely more than just absence. See here what it takes to maintain a long-distance relationship.

Managing a long-distance relationship requires extra effort on both partners, requiring the extra amount of trust, respect, and loyalty as well as the degree of independence. Some individuals frown upon the very idea of maintaining a relationship across the miles. A lot of pessimists and cynical individuals insist it simply would not work out. Sure, the odds may be against for anyone in a long-distance relationship, but for couples dead set of jumping over the hurdles and making it to the finish line, distance and time zones only add spice to a relationship.

The great news is, with the advent of technology and a steady stream of long-distance relationship advice from experts, staying connected and keeping the love burning becomes easier. The Internet, for one, offers a number of venues for couples to maintain constant communication and keep tabs on their partner’s life, without spending a fortune.

Online instant messengers have become especially popular among long-distance lovers, allowing them to chat or see each other in real-time via webcam to their heart’s content. With electronic mails, you don’t need to wait for days to send letters to your loved one, thereby offering unrivaled convenience given the fact that you are miles or poles apart. And the great thing is, postage is free!

Social networking site also offers a venue for long-distance lovers to be updated on each other’s lives and makes it possible to officially proclaim to all your friends you are ‘in a relationship with that special someone from across the continent. What is great about social networking sites is the fact that with all the status updates as well as video and photo sharing tools; it becomes virtually easier to share your thoughts and emotions with your partner and with the rest of the world. Blogging has also gained massive popularity as an online diary for many people who like writing about their thoughts and day-to-day experiences.

If you and your partner are fairly new to this whole setup, then it would be advisable to seek long-distance relationship advice from people who have been in the same boat or those who have successfully hurdled it. They can help you better understand what to expect and how to best deal with communication issues.

Author

Chris Harrison is a content writer and editor from New Caledonia. He is currently managing Oneunionone which is based in North Carolino. Before founding the website, he was a full time editor in New York USA.