This Is What Makes Long Distance Relationships Worth It

Long distance is freaking hard. Anybody can tell you that, but seriously. You don’t realize how hard until you’re actually in one.

At first, it won’t seem like a big deal. It’ll just be the natural progression of life and circumstance as you continue your relationship. Since you both love one another, there’s no reason to think you won’t overcome the obstacles long distance presents. Right?

Not so right. You’ll start questioning when the reality of the other person physically not being there hits you. Suddenly, you can’t just go up to your partner and hug them. You can’t hold their hand or wipe their tears. The missing becomes way too real. Especially in the beginning, it overtakes you in random spurts and feels like some weird heartache choking you. Sometimes you’re out with friends and you’re having fun, and it’s all great! Until you catch yourself thinking that it would be greater if your partner could share in it all.

Of course, inevitable jealousy creeps in. You’re no longer the person they seek when they go out to dinner because you’re not actually there. They make new friends. Start talking about people you’ve never met. At times, it feels like you’re being replaced. You feel a lot less “significant” and much more “other.”

When your lives become very separate, it’s easy to feel like you don’t have a partner anymore. People will emphasize how important communication is, to always share the little details of your day. But really, that won’t stop you from wondering if it’s all worth it. What exactly does the future hold? Are you simply wasting your time? At the end of this complex journey, will you still come together to walk as one?

The truth is, you will never fully answer all the endless questions that come. Nobody can predict the future, and often, unexpected things happen. Despite that, there is still one thing that makes a long distance relationship worth pursuing no matter the final destination. That person feels like home. When you call them, text them, hear their voice, imagine what they’d say, they are the one to bring you comfort and warmth. You can be halfway across the world from each other. You can grow and change and shift your worldview. Yet when you come back to that person, your heart knows you’ve come home.

That is why a long distance relationship can be so wonderfully beautiful. Because no matter how far apart you two may be, your soul will never forget what home feels like.