Distance between two hearts is not an obstacle; rather a beautiful reminder of just how strong true love can be.
These were the words I kept telling myself for three years.
Here’s our story…
Abraham was my first love. I met him 20+ years ago on a beautiful summer night in Iloilo City, Philippines. However, things didn’t work out, and we drifted apart. I also moved to the US, and we never saw each other again.
A few years ago, I went back to the Philippines. Our paths crossed, and we realized we still love each other. We got back together and oh yes – love was sweeter the second time around!
Much as I wanted to stay longer in the Philippines, I had to return to New York for a job opportunity. Though we were miles away from each other, we were determined to make our relationship work. Here’s what we’ve learned to survive the distance.
1. Keep the lines of communication open
Thank God for facetime, emails, and facebook messenger. These means of communication made it possible for us to update each other every single day.
There’s a 12-hour time difference between the Philippines and New York. Most of the time, I’ll wake up early in the morning and we will facetime each other while I’m eating breakfast (he’s having dinner on the other side of the world).
If for some reason, we weren’t able to chat with each other, we usually send messages and photos of what we did during that day.
2. Find time to see each other
I traveled around 8,506 miles every year to visit him in the Philippines. That’s approximately an 18-20 hours plane ride from New York. I only have 2-3 weeks of vacation time, so we cherished every moment we spent with each other.
If you want your relationship to grow, it is vital that you spend quality time together. The phone calls and emails are not enough to find out if you are compatible with each other.
3. Take Care of Yourself
Have you been staring at other couples, wishing you can be like them? Are you fighting over some issues? Did you hurt his feelings? Do you want to hold him tight and tell him you’re sorry? Are you getting frustrated?
Being in a long distance relationship is difficult. Taking care of yourself is crucial
How?
There are several ways: a healthy diet, exercise, listening to your favorite music, reading uplifting books, learning a new hobby, talking to friends or counselor, etc. Do the things that help you balance your mind, body, and soul.
4. Stay faithful
It is said that if you truly love someone, being faithful is easy. If you’re having a hard time staying faithful, then you need to reassess why you’re still holding on to this long-distance relationship.
Staying loyal to each other is essential for your relationship to thrive and endure the test of time and distance.
5. Set a goal
Where is this relationship going? When can we be together? These are difficult questions to ask if you’re in the early stages of your relationship. Eventually, as your relationship grows, these questions need to be answered.
On one of my trips to see him, I was surprised upon arrival at Iloilo City International Airport when Abraham proposed to me.
Of course, I said YES!
Now, you might not be ready for this yet. Maybe, you just want to spend more time together and get to know each other better. I think it is still important to set relationship goals.
6. Plan your next move
Let’s say you’ve talked about moving to your partner’s country next year. What’s the next step? Do you need a visa? What documents do you need to start the process? Do you need additional training or certifications to find a job in his/her country?
I wasn’t familiar with immigration laws, so I contacted a lawyer to help us plan. He discussed with me the different requirements to start the fiancé visa process. I shared this information with Abraham, and we listed the steps we needed to do to make our dream possible.
7. Take Action
It’s time to do something with the plan! Go ahead and apply for that visa, save money for the trip, get the training you need, etc. Brace yourself for this Big change in your life.
Abraham and I submitted all the documents needed to apply for a fiancé visa. He also prepared for his interview at the US Embassy in the Philippines.
Waiting for the result of the interview was nerve-racking. I was so happy when he called and told me that he passed!
Finally, we will be together.
Are you in a long distance relationship? Any other tips you can share to survive LDR? Feel free to share your story or insights in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
49 responses to “7 Ways to Survive a Long Distance Relationship”
A beautiful story, Fritzie; it was meant to be. God was testing both your hearts, and your faithfulness! Abraham, and his Sarah; the next test, will be the Bloom!
#TogetherForever
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Hi Warren, thank you so much for reading. I really hope God will grant the desires of our heart (just like what he did for Abraham & Sarah). Still fervently praying for our miracle🙏
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I have a every Wednesday WordPress prayer list, your request is number one; Blessings!
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Thanks Warren…… Really appreciate it🙏
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Your story is amazing! Congratulations to you both for finding a love you work hard for couldn’t live without. These are great tips for long distance relationships and I wish you both years of happiness!
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Thank you so much Stephanie❤️ I’m glad that things work out for us despite the challenges of LDR.
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What a beautiful story! I am in a LDR and it warms my heart to hear you’ve made it work, over many more miles than mine involves. Wishing you all the best x
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Thank you so much❤️ LDR can be challenging, but it is still possible to make it work. Though miles apart, I hope you and your sweetheart will stay strong and your love will continue to grow.
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Great post. Me and OH did long distance for a year, it’s definitely possible and in many ways tests just how strong your relationship really is
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Yes, it does test how strong your relationship really is. We had our share of ups and downs, but I’m glad we survived LDR.
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this is hard
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Such a beautiful story!
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Hi Amey, thank you so much for reading our LDR story❤️
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This is so sweet! I am so glad you guys get to finally be together! Also another tip I use for LDR is to NOT make rash decisions or assumptions! It will save a lifetime of arguments and create a better understanding between the two people!
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I totally agree on not making abrupt decisions. Our LDR journey wasn’t perfect – we also had a lot of misunderstandings. There were times we just want to give up. I’m glad that we were able to resolve things and tried to understand each other better.
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I WISH someone would’ve encouraged me and my now-ex to make plans for the future when we first went long-distance (we were together for a year before I moved away). We kept focusing on the “now” instead of the “future” and it ended up driving a huge wedge between us. THank you for sharing this post! I can’t even begin to imagine how many couples it will help.
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Thank you so much for reading. The first time we were together (20+ years ago), we made a lot of mistakes. I think we learned so much from our past that when we got back together, we were more prepared to make things work and prepare for the future.
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What a heartwarming story. I’ve always wondered what happened to your first love. Love is indeed lovelier the second time around. As you travel through this road called married, may you fulfill all your dreams and love each other more.
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Hi Jen, I wasn’t able to update you what happened after we got back together. Here it is…….😊 Thank you so much for visiting my page, really appreciate the comment.
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What a lovely love story! Time couldn’t keep you apart and neither can distance was a great post and these tips can be applied to regular distance relationships lol just being loving and super attentive and faithful great post! Great advice love your blog.
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Hi there, first of all, I want to thank you for following my blog. I was thinking about your comment that these tips are applicable even for those couples not in LDR. I Agree – Communication, Faithfulness, Sharing a Common Goal, etc are some of the ways to make a relationship stronger.
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This is such a sweet post! Thankfully I don’t have to deal with a long distance relationship, I’m so clingy that I don’t think I’d cope haha! I’m so glad that you have though!
Soph – https://sophhearts.com x
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Haha I’m kinda clingy too sometimes:) It was tough but I’m glad that we’re finally together.
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Great post! I was in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend for just over 4 and a half years. He only recently moved in with me as he’s got a job over here now! We didn’t have as much of a distance between each other as we were both in the same country and a few hours away from each other, but it is still difficult! There were many times when I wished he could be there, but couldn’t. Great tips for anyone else that is in one, it is definitely important to treasure the moments you are together.
Amy,
https://creativenails.uk
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I’m glad that you’re finally together – LDR is really difficult. Thank you so much for sharing your story. May your love for each other continue to grow stronger.
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Thank you for sharing. Day one of an LDR and overwhelmed with emotions. We have talked a lot about this day, but it came up so fast. I am really hoping it gets easier because all I want to do is lay in our bed right now. I miss her so much!
https://themilesbetweenourhearts.wordpress.com
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LDR is really tough and it can get overwhelming. It took me some time to adjust to the situation. What kept me going was being able to communicate with him everyday. And of course, the thought that in time…..we will be together again.
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I used to be in a long distance relationship and it was really challenging. There were lonely nights when I would just soak my pillow with hot tears. It was frustrating until I learnt how to cope by:
Communicating regularly
Planning visits in advance
Sending over thoughtful gifts
Writing love letters
Engaging in series of video chats
And being realistic, determined and patient
My relationship was so important for me that I bought a Long distance love kit. It was a wonderful experience! After that experience I had to write a post on it to help others in LDRs all over the world.
You can read the post here:
https://www.momentswithjenny.com/2018/07/keep-a-long-distance-relationship-alive.html
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These are great tips Jenny! I’ve just read your post about LDR and I love it – left a comment on your blog. Thanks for visiting my page and sharing your thoughts.
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Thanks a lot! I’m so glad I stumbled on your blog. You’re an inspiration to me!
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Aww ❤️ Glad I found your blog too!
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I was also in a LDR, but it never worked….
However, we would talk with each other endlessly on the phone being in two different corners of the world with a difference of 12 hours……
But it didn’t work..
Nd we broke up within 3 months…
I think the face to face talk is really important to continue the relationships……
In my opinion, LDRs hardly work 1% out of 100.
Except live conversation, nothing’s gonna work out…..
That’s my confession. 🙂🙂.
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So sorry, it didn’t work out for you. It’s really tough to be in a LDR relationship. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your story.
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Yeah right, it’s really tough to maintain…
But It’s okay. I took that positively….🙂🙂.❤
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[…] (feedback to hubby during our challenging LDR) […]
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just great info
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Thank you❤️
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always welcome!
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I think LDR for me is working…..we are now on 1.6 year…..though were just 1 yr and counting in a relationship…i could say that HE is the one…..everyday we had a communication……though sometimes we misundertands each other but at the end of the day we reconciled…….so much inspired with your blog it really helps a lot for our relationship recently……
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I’m so glad that you got inspired! It’s good that you try to resolve your misunderstandings right away. Hope you guys will survive the challenges of LDR. Stay in Love ❤️
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Love your post. I am currently in a ldr and one thing I kept forgetting was looking after myself. It is super important.
I would probably also add finding things to do together while at a distance. As I think that helped my relationship when at it’s lowest
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Hi there……it is so stressful and challenging to be in an LDR. It’s nice to do things that relax your mind and makes you happy:) I totally agree that finding things to do together while at a distance helps a lot. We used to FaceTime and watched the same Netflix movie or documentary. That’s our “movie date” (with popcorn and soda) even if we were miles apart…..
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Oh nice we… for us movie night did not work… guess depends on the couple. So we worked out together. But I learnt every ldr is different.
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It’s beautiful that your story ended well. Congratulations to you 🙏🏽🙌🏽
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Thank you ❤️ After years of waiting…… I’m really glad everything went well.
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[…] stores a few years ago. I was on my way to the Philippines to see Abraham (we were in a long distance relationship). I surprised Abraham with this gift and told him to bring Waddles back to the US […]
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[…] for long distance, but in general, for all relationships that you have in your life. Check it out: 7 Ways to Survive a Long Distance Relationship by […]
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Beautiful love story. It warms my heart so much. I actually don’t think I can cope in a long distance relationship so I give you kudos 💕💕💕
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It was tough, but Thank God we made it through all the challenges. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story.
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