She's baaaaaaack....

Hey there, beautiful people! I hope you remember me. Carly is currently at the beach (lucky ducky) and asked for me to step in for a day to keep you guys entertained. I know, try not to act too disappointed! Since she is currently a long distance away from her man, she asked me to share some of my experiences with long term relationships. I guess I should really say relationship. My husband was my only one. Keep in mind that my husband (boyfriend at the time) was only an hour away, but with school we only saw each other about once a month. I am no professional when it comes to dealing with long distance stuff and have the utmost respect for those ladies that deal with their husbands being gone for months and missing milestone events. However, I did have to adjust in some ways and have a little to share with you guys.



Even though long distance totally sucks, especially if you have been living in the same city or at least within driving distance, I think the time and freedom it provides can be really helpful and healthy. Spending less time together allows you to step back and re-examine your relationship. Really pray about whether this should continue or if this is God's way of telling you it isn't meant to be. When you aren't around each other every second of every day, it really opens up your eyes to think about the future and where you would like things to go.

With that said, communication is key. You should always be upfront and honest in your relationship, but this is especially important when you are far away from each other. You want to extinguish every doubt. Now, you obviously shouldn't feel like you have to let the other person know every time you are doing something new, but to send a little text to keep them in the loop of your plans for the day would be considerate. It's really hard to understand the different schedules that you run on and the new friends that are being made, so there is no problem with being completely open! A relationship cannot survive or thrive without trust and in order to establish that from the start, you have to be honest.

My last little tid bit would be to make sure you are encouraging each other all the time. Your guy will love that you compliment him and support his dreams. Tell him what he's doing right and remind him of why you appreciate him being in your life. Everyone loves a compliment and everyone loves encouragement. Take advantage of that. Don't overdo it, but keep in mind that these changes are tough for both of you!! Even if you are handling it in different ways, each of you has to adjust in your own way! Be considerate of each other and your feelings.

I was an awesome Skype-er!

On a much less serious note, download Skype. Or, if you are fancy and have an iPhone, use FaceTime. Use the amazing technology of the day to do things together. Sure it would be totally lame to carry around your phone to a movie or to go bowling, but make a date and hang out together. Agree on a type of food to order in, then find a movie that you both like. Skype has screen-share abilities, so you could watch the movie together and talk just like you are together. It sounds lame, but I really enjoyed the few times I did this with the hubs.



Stay close to the Lord and he will help you both through the time apart. Don't be afraid to hear his guidance and listen to His voice. He will bless you for your faithfulness. OH and since I just made your life easier (just kidding), make sure you check out my blog and follow me on Bloglovin' and Twitter!