Ellie__

Thanks to modern technology, we watch a movie together. We just have each other on video and start the movie at the same time. Obviously not great but it’s something. 

Apart since October 2019. Partially because her government can't get their heads out of their butts! And then this Covid plandemic.                                       

I went to visit my partner in the U.S in January last year, for three weeks. The last time that we were together was at the airport in Orlando Florida, as I was leaving to return home to Australia, on 16th of February 2020. So it's been nearly 15 months. 
 
We never go a day without communicating with eachother on Facebook Messenger. It has been our lifeline and connection to eachother. This past year has been a most difficult time for us both (in regards to having to adjust and adapt to a much changed world). Our relationship stayed strong, yet the distance and time apart and the uncertainty of when we might be together again (along with personal life events) all had an effect on our mental health. Yet we were always there to support one another, to get eachother through the dark days. It has made our relationship stronger than it already was. I have not been able to visit him again, nor have him visit me, due to Australia's strict closed border policy. If all goes well at my interview soon and my visa is granted, I will have to apply for an exemption in order to be able to leave Australia. 
 
So how do we deal with the time apart?  One of the biggest and important things is to 'Still live life as normally as possible'. Try not to put our lives on hold, while we wait to be reunited. He has his job, I have my volunteer work. He has his own interests and daily life things that keep him busy, and I have mine. They all make for good conversation topics when we spend time together online, when we're either talking or video-chatting together. 
 
Some time ago I bought myself a big heavy book with over 1200 pages, about road trips in the USA. It has places to go according to each state, where to stay, things to do, where to eat etc. My partner suggested that I look through the book and make a list of places that I would like to eventually visit. Somehow I don't think that he quite realises yet just how much I want to see! 😄 Maybe that can be something for you to do as well?  Make a list of places that you would like to see, once you are with your partner again, and the kind of things you would like to do. It just might help you to look forward and take your mind off the present for awhile. Dream, plan, then live it 😊 
 

Hi guys! How are you dealing with your long distance with covid? Me and my boyfriend have been apart for a year already and I am feeling so drained, he's also in the military so I guess it gets a little more complicated. 😢  Hopefully we'll be able to reunite soon and all of this mess will come to an end.

M’y fiancé and I were separated for 14 months and I can tell you it ain’t easy. I went thru all type of emotions, sadness, cries and all. I totally understand you. I’m still separated from him. We are waiting on our visa :( good luck and stay strong!!! 

I'm so sorry you are going through this. I have been separated from my love for almost 2 years and it's very hard. The best advice I got from another couple that's been through this is to try to find beauty in your life now. It may not be the way you want because your partner is not here, but if that's all you focus on you will get discouraged and depressed. Enjoy your hobbies, spend time with good friends, soak in the little things that you enjoy like your morning cup of coffee. It sounds hokey but finding joy in other things is so important when there's one aspect of your life (the separation) that is frustrating and beyond your control.
 
Take a break from the Facebook groups and even VisaJourney (sorry, y'all!) if you need to. It's a great place for collective support and advice but I think sometimes we also start to carry each other's immigration struggles or focus on our own to much when we spend too much time in these online communities. 
 
Lastly, if you can find creative ways to engage with your partner. I don't know what limitations exist with him being in the military, but my fiancé and I have a show we watch together, we read a book together on marriage and discussed it and sometimes we pick a recipe and cook it at the same time and then "have dinner" over the phone. Writing letters can be another fun one.
 
Best of luck to you, dear. I hope you are reunited with your loved one soon. 
 
Also, I saw in one of your comments that you are planning on applying for the K1 the next time you two are together. If I can give you my two cents, it might be worth it to at least start the prep work now. My fiancé and I decided not to wait til we were together to apply because with the border closures we had no idea when that would be. I (American fiancé) filled out all the forms and he scanned/emailed me his documents. Nine months later (with borders still closed) we think we made the right decision -- we would have lost a lot of time. The backlogs at USCIS and the State Dept. are growing longer, so it might be worth it to "get your spot in line." Of course I don't know all the details of your situation, so do what's right for you!

We tried to meet for a vacation in Cancun in August 2020.  Mexican Immigration refused my wife entry and deported her on site without reason so we ended up going to Rio De Janeiro Brazil and had an awesome visit and spent time together there.  Then in December we visited Panama and then we married in Costa Rica and had an awesome time together there.  Now we are together again in Peru and having a just awesome time.  Finding countries that are willing to concurrently accept both Philippine and US travelers during the pandemic has been difficult, but not impossible.  Greece seems to have opened up a bit and looks fun for our next destination.

Being alone and apart is one thing.  Going through the COVID lockdowns + being separated was as entire new level of difficult.

In my state, we all had to work at home from March - First part of June.  I didn't see or interact with anyone except a trip to the store for food/supplies once or twice a week for 3 months.   This was an extremely dark time.   I was about 13 months without seeing my wife between back end of 2019 and until Dec 2020.

Directly to the OP question of how do you deal with it?   One day at a time....
 
 

It's never easy but not that I'm back with my now wife, it's the happiest I've ever been. Just work with the knowledge if you can get through this, you can get through anything. 

I can't say it is easy but we love each other very much. I work with a therapist who specializes in family and marriage and that has helped a lot. I haven't seen my Partner in over 400 days due to Australia being closed so we can't even meet up anywhere. Our K-1 took 7 months so we are relieved it'll be towards the end soon but it gets pretty dark some days. I take social media breaks, keep myself busy in both professional and educational avenues. I've focused on not only the relationship itself but I've also picked up different hobbies and self development sort of things (learning a new language, eating healther, losing weight, learning how to be a healthy spouse and a mature one at that etc). My hobbies have helped and having a full-time job does also. I can't envision my life without him. I can't say that "time flies" but time does keep going. It is what we do in that time that we hope to reflect on later and say "I'm glad i had a chance to achieve this before married life  "
 
I'm going to Belize for my last luxury solo vacation for my birthday. So yeah...traveling to open areas and staying vibrant helps my attitude...that and shopping..

It s still very difficult ...but am sure after covid is over, we are not going to take it slow and we are not going to take it one step at a time

My husband and I have been physically apart for 6 months starting next month, due to covid. We lived together in Canada for 9 years which has made this entire thing even rougher. With that said, it's hard but we talk everyday and work keeps him super busy while I indulge in a lot of random hobbies to keep me from crying most days. On the brightside, we have a pretty firm end date in mind if everything goes well with his interview. So now we have that to look forward to. 🥰

Hi guys! How are you dealing with your long distance with covid? Me and my boyfriend have been apart for a year already and I am feeling so drained, he's also in the military so I guess it gets a little more complicated. 😢  Hopefully we'll be able to reunite soon and all of this mess will come to an end.

Well so much for planning a wedding for next month or later, depending on my PR card renewal arrival. I see Canada has now been deemed a level 4 by the US travel state website. He couldn't come over as the PM banned US citizens from entering Canada, which made it possible for me to visit when I did. Yes. Very odd. 
 
Now I am sure I will not be welcome to visit any time soon😔💔 

(((CHOCOLATE HUGS))) 
 
I was able to meet and visit my online Love in January this year for the first time. We've been together since September 2020. He proposed the day before I left on my 8 day visit. We haven't been apart as long as you. I just want to return to him so we can get married and I can spend some time with him, before returning so he can file CR1/IR1. 
 
We Signal everyday and we live our lives, we know one day, we'll be together, most days are better than most, yet sometimes seeing him makes me cry. 
 
Gosh I miss him😔 

I was physically separated from my then-fiancé for 13 months. We chatted everyday before work, texted each other a lot, called each other during our lunch break and catch up at night. It's a plus, that despite the time zone, we have the same work schedule.
Time flew faster as we were busy with other things but when I only have 2 weeks left before leaving for the U.S., it seems like I didn't have enough time to do everything that I needed to do in my home country.
So use your downtimes to settle things that you want taken care of; get bus with projects; come up with a list of to-do's. Before you know it, you're back in each other's arms again
 

I have been away from him since last 2 + years already 😔.

7 months was the longest during covid and it was really nerve wracking on the 1st trip, you have to find hobbies to keep yourself busy.

It sucked. We were super lucky to be able to visit regularly pre-covid so being apart for a year was rubbish and we missed eachother a lot.
 
But then, everything was rubbish, 2020 just utterly sucked.

Hi guys! How are you dealing with your long distance with covid? Me and my boyfriend have been apart for a year already and I am feeling so drained, he's also in the military so I guess it gets a little more complicated. 😢  Hopefully we'll be able to reunite soon and all of this mess will come to an end.

We have been apart since October 2019 and online chatting and messaging is one option, so it really helps. We both work and keep busy. I think it's a good advice to keep yourself busy, time passes quickly when you are busy with something. Don't focuse on how long you have been waiting focus on how little it's left to wait and how happy you will be in the end after reunion!🌺💖
Stay strong, be calm!

This. The longest we went without seeing each other face to face was 2 years, also pre-covid. Don't put your life on pause. Use the physical separation as time to dig deep and really get to know each other and hone your communication skills!
 
We video chatted and texted when we could but our lives went on. Worked through a lot of cultural differences and misunderstandings during our 6 year relationship before we actually were able to tie the knot

Thank you, that's so true. 

My wife and I were apart for 13 months in pre-Covid times.  Separation is the norm for the immigration process.  It isn't fun, but it won't kill you.  Keep busy, and continue to stay in contact.

Just think of how lucky you are to see her every 3-4 weeks! Many people go a year without seeing their significant other and if this was pre covid you’d still be in normal processing times! Many countries are closed to US citizens so the option of visiting is completely gone AND many countries it costs a fortune to call their significant other and wifi is basically non existent so from my view you guys have a LOT going for you than many many others. One thing you need to know when starting the immigration process is to have patience. Ou can’t predict the future, it is in someone else’s hands. But you can vote in November.