Amayzine

Happy & Healthy

13 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU START A LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP

I was sitting very American, together with my nephew, in the driveway. With a glass of wine in one hand and a basketball in the other, when Mister X drove up. It was my aunt's brilliant idea to set me up on a blind date. That blind date ended in a long-distance relationship. With all the Hello Goodbye and All You Need Is Love scenes that come with it. Sounds all very romantic, but a long-distance relationship can be quite difficult at times. I have often sat sniffling on the couch when yet another goodbye was approaching. Well, you don't think about that when you're kissing in front of the White House for the first time. Now it was also super cool and stuff to tell friends: ‘My boyfriend, oh yeah, he lives in America.’ And the reunion at the airport was every time just like a scene from your favorite romcom. But still, that long-distance relationship gave me something to think about. Have you just found a match on the other side of that blue ocean? Then this post is for you.

The advantages

  1. You suddenly receive a lot of old-fashioned mail.
  2. Unexpected packages and love letters, nothing better than that, right?
  3. You see a lot of the world; Schiphol is your second home.
  4. Such a relationship is great for your English. Or for your Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish... You name it.
  5. Every moment you are together is truly a big celebration.
  6. Distance creates more desire. If something is passionate and incredibly sexy, it's long-distance sex. Nothing can compare to make-up sex.
  7.  You maintain your own routine, your own hobbies and work, and your friends never lack attention.

And then the disadvantages...

  1. The most annoying thing about an overseas relationship: the time difference. You go to bed, he is in a meeting. You wake up, he is starting his night. Skype and FaceTime calls almost always take place at work. Not ideal.
  2.  You will probably create two wardrobes just like I did: one at his place and one at yours. Just watch, you'll want to wear that one dress when it's hanging in HIS closet...
  3. You feel more single than when you're in a relationship. So you'll almost always have to go to that one party alone, and that's not always fun.
  4. It also costs you a fortune, all that traveling back and forth. Every saved euro goes straight to KLM. Or if you're lucky, to Ryanair, when you find him within the EU.
  5. The moments you are together, you want to make the most of it. Family visits, trying out restaurants, autumn walks, cinema visits; whatever it is, you want to do it TOGETHER. And yet you also want to do NOTHING together so badly. But then again, that's a waste of precious time together...
  6. So you really have to stop by Christine le Duc (yes, that one) for a filled nightstand. Otherwise, you'll never survive those weeks alone, of course.

So think of me when you turn on Tinder during your trip to NYC.

By the way, I wouldn't have wanted to miss my 300 Hello/Goodbyes...