How Do (Did) You Manage Your Long Distance Relationship?

[Emancipation 2]

We kept reminding ourselves that no matter what each day was one day closer.. And we were closer today than yesterday.

It was hard, but our wait was nothing compared to some others (5 months and we got to see each other every month durning that time).

[TracyTN 237]

Skype and webcam have been lifesavers.

I'm looking forward to not having to use them, though!

[*JG* 2]

We went into financial hell talking for hours every day and my visiting once a month, sometimes just overnight. We also snail mailed each other cards and letters. He had no internet access.

I spent my time working 2 jobs, scrapbooking, and making cards, trying to occupy my time so I didn't sit there focusing on how much I missed him.

[aj1 1]

No matter what you do this process is very hard really!! I do just about everything to keep myself busy, and we talk just about everyday and we talk on yahoo messenger, and we chat on the cam we write letters to each other and send each other ecards alot! But i pray alot that is what really keeps me sane. I know that this will be over but unfortunatley my fiance lives in Egypt so i have to wait longer than most people going through this process so now he is on A/P and has been now for 4 months. I have not seen my fiance for 17 months and if i could go to see him i would, i miss him so much and i can't wait for this to be over! Prayer that is what helps me and our love for each other. If i know nothing i know to never take love for granted this process tought me that and LOTS! of patience.

AJ1

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Skype and webcam have been lifesavers.

I'm looking forward to not having to use them, though!

Hail the Skype and the cam. I dont have a cubicle job so in my free time we talked and talked and talked, 4 hours on average a day. Beleive me this paid off in spades as far as learning about eachother.It truly was a love hate thing with the computer. Were together now and this experience will NEVER be forgotton.Just gotta hang tough.

[featherB 1]

Skype (we talked on the phone several times EVERY day, without fail), MSN Messenger (with webcams on pretty much constantly... we just left them on so we could see each other wandering past the cam getting on with whatever we were doing, and would stop and say hello even if we were both busy doing other things... we'd arrange to 'meet' back there in a couple of hours or whatever, but it was nice just to feel like he was sort of 'there' albeit on the end of an internet connection!), random emails throughout the day just to say hello... and, where possible, always knowing when we'd see each other next so that we could count down to it. I did shift work which involved lots of nights, and meant that I could keep very weird hours - I was five hours behind in the UK, but often ended up going to bed later than my then-fiance here in the US... but being able to stay up talking to him rather than going to bed as soon as he got home from work was a very good thing. Also meant that I'd get to 'see' him most mornings when he was getting up for work, as well as both often going to bed at the same time... that was weirdly comforting, although I did feel like I was living in a different time zone!

I am SO glad we don't have to do that any more. Just being able to see him every day seemed like an almost unimaginable luxury for so long, and now here I am...!

[monnik 0]

We did all of the things mentioned above. We sent eachother packages through DHL or FedEx. We used Skype a lot, but mainly MSN messenger. We left our webcams on all night. I would sleep on my couch some nights so that he could watch me sleeping. Managing our relationship wasn't that hard. I mean, we would spend about 6 hours per weekday talking/chatting - about 10 hours on weekends.

The hardest thing for me was getting my friends and family excited about him. My mom, sister, nieces, and friends all talked to him online or on the phone, but it didn't have a big effect on them. I don't know if they thought that it wasn't serious or what. But, in their defense, I can say that it's hard to make plans around someone that's not there. They had never actually met him and they weren't sure they ever would, so it was like I had an imaginary boyfriend.

[wioombeen 0]

Another good way to pass the time is playing the blue square/heart game.

[Sheriff Uling 3]

We both work an obscene amt of hours.

I first read this a you both work hard to be obscene for hours... You go girl!!! Hehehehe!!!

[C and J 1]

I manage to spend 5 weeks a year over in the States with my hubby, which isn't much at all

We talk on Skype for hours each day, also MSNing each other when one of us is asleep. We actually ended up in the habit of sleeping with skype on - my laptop is next to my bed and I fall asleep with the headset on. My hubby says he likes to listen to me sleep, he says it relaxes him and reminds him of when we are together.

Besides that, I have a full time job and Josh has a part time job. He works 4 days a week, generally at times when I am sleeping. He chose the job to have minimum impact on our quality time together. Plus we have a World of Warcraft addiction which gives less time for thinking about not being together.

Edited July 17, 2007 by C and J

[Misty1979 0]

We manage pretty much the same way as everyone else I think. The only thing I didn't notice on here that we do is when time allows, we play online games together. Kind of a nice bonding experience when it gives you something you can actually be involved in together.

Other than that, MSN, tons of phone calls (free long distance from his phone to mine luckily.) Working TONS of extra hours, and as many visits as possible. I make it a point to have my first waking thought being that I am one day closer to being back with the man of my dreams, for good this time.

[RosemarieL 0]

We met playing an on-line game and we still play together. We use skype to chat while we are playing. A virtual world may not be as good as the real one but it is better than nothing.

[Carlawarla 1]

You need to go on with your life, and maintain a good social network of family and friends so you're not spending every waking minute thinking about your loved one.

As above, this was really important for my sanity! We talked on the phone a lot. For me, hearing his voice, talking in "real" time, was what I needed. We were so fortunate that during our whole relationship, we were able to have enough money and vacation time to meet up every couple of months for at least 10 days. Greeting cards, small dollar store gifts, postcards, really meant a lot.

Carla

[TracyLuis 0]

It's silly, maybe...but hubby and I had scheduled "date nights" via Skype that were a fun thing for us to look forward to after a long week of work and what-not.