Distance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder: 9 Benefits Of Long-Distance Relationships

Being in a healthy long-distance relationship has provided me with a deeper understanding of love and dating.

I've read a few posts on long-distance love — some on how to keep romance alive and make it work and others about why it won't work and even worse, why I won't be successful because of it (ouch).

While each person is entitled to an opinion, I don’t think distance has as much to do with the success of a relationship as the two people who are involved do. The worst and most painful relationship of my life was with a guy who lived less than a mile away from me.

No matter how compatible two people are, all relationships require work. If it's with the right person and the timing suits your lives, long distance can be great!

Some of you out there might totally agree with me and others probably think I’m crazy. I love long-distance relationships. Here’s why:

You learn to embrace your, ahem, natural beauty.

I just don’t care anymore if my legs are freshly shaved each morning. Sure, I certainly prefer the way they feel when they’re silky smooth, but I won’t stress if I leave the house with some stubble.

Whether or not someone’s armpits are smooth, we’re all still human beings who can be loved, and honestly, that’s way more important.

The little things are the best part of your day.

When I get a SnapChat or text from my guy, I get pretty excited. They’d still mean a lot even if we lived in the same city, but there’s something magical about knowing there is a person hundreds of miles away who is thinking of me.

When you don’t have the luxury of regular face-to-face exchanges, you’ll love and appreciate the small things your partner does to a higher degree.

You’ll find it’s difficult to move “too fast.”

I agreed to move in with a college boyfriend. We were in love, so it made sense to us at the time, but I quickly found that I hated playing house at 19 years old.

When you’re in a long-distance relationship, you can’t spend every evening at your partner’s apartment, you aren’t inseparable every weekend and you definitely won’t discuss moving in together after a month of dating. If things are good and work out, then great, but there’s no rush!

You’ll become more in touch with your sexuality.

In a long-distance relationship, you become a part-time porn star. Dirty talk, naughty pics and phone/Skype/FaceTime sex all keep things spicy.

You’ll quickly shed insecurities as a result of letting go of your inhibitions. It’s a healthy exploration to find what you like, what you don’t and what feels good for you.

You retain your independent spirit.

You make plans with someone and you’re excited to hang out and catch up. Suddenly, he or she shows up with a significant other in tow? Ugh.

I’m happy to go places solo or meet up with friends sans my boyfriend because, well, that’s usually what I have to do. Of course, you’ll sometimes wish your boo-thang could come along, and it’s a real treat when he or she is in town and can do just that, but you’re also happy to do things by yourself.

Just because you’re dating someone you care about doesn’t mean your relationship is the main thing that defines you and your interests.

It’s exciting to plan when you get to be together.

Yes, it’s exhausting being apart, but getting to plan the times you’re together is an unbelievable rush of excitement. You’ll cherish the times you get with each other since they don’t happen every day.

You can experience the best of a different city.

When I tell people I’m in Los Angeles about once a month to visit my boyfriend, they’re curious how I feel about all the “fake” people and the traffic.

Honestly, I don’t deal with that. I go out to fun restaurants and bars with my favorite guy, hang out with his social circle and see the beautiful sights — all without dealing with the common hassles of being a tourist.

You only tolerate good communication.

I’ve put up with too many guys who didn’t “know” how to text or couldn’t honestly say how they felt. If my boyfriend and I were so terrible at communicating, our relationship would not work.

Long-distance relationships work best when couples talk regularly, FaceTime or Skype. Things can get lost in translation even in person sometimes, so expressing yourself clearly and asking for that in return is vital.

There is no better feeling in the world than seeing him or her again.

You will never, ever be by his or her side and take it for granted.

Photo Courtesy: We Heart It