{"id":64317,"date":"2018-02-13T14:00:25","date_gmt":"2018-02-13T19:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/how-to-manage-your-lgbtq-long-distance-relationship\/"},"modified":"2018-02-13T14:00:25","modified_gmt":"2018-02-13T19:00:25","slug":"how-to-manage-your-lgbtq-long-distance-relationship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/how-to-manage-your-lgbtq-long-distance-relationship\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage your LGBTQ long distance relationship"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to manage your LGBTQ long distance relationship<\/b><\/p>\n

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GLAAD<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My girlfriend<\/a> and I met in an unconventional way: Tumblr. We were both sixteen-year-old nerds in 2012 who randomly stumbled upon each other\u2019s blogs. One day I decided to send a note of kindness to a stranger, just to brighten their day, and out of my 500 followers, I chose her.<\/p>\n

Usually, I would never receive a message back from people, but she responded almost ten minutes later, and from there came a beautiful friendship that traveled across countries. She moved from Mexico to Costa Rica then back to Mexico while I stayed stationary in California. We would Skype and discuss our favorite shows, do homework together, listen to music, and after a few years it was easy to call<\/a> each other best friends.<\/p>\n

Flash-forward to 2014, I was a month into my first year at college and I asked her if she\u2019s ever seen Phantom of the Opera before. We planned to watch it that night together over Skype, and even though I never specified, we both secretly felt like it was a date. A couple<\/a> days later, we admitted we had feelings for each other. Ever since then, we\u2019ve been together in a long-distance relationship for 4 years, traveling back and forth between our two countries.<\/p>\n

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We\u2019ve stayed strong, proudly holding hands in the face of the homophobia and racism in our countries, especially during very politically turbulent times. In a couple<\/a> of months, we\u2019ll both be graduating university, and we plan to attend graduate school together.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t speak for every long distance relationship (LDR), but I can say that I know first-hand how difficult one can be. Like every relationship, it\u2019s not easy and requires a lot of work, but since LDRs are between people who are not physically together, there is a little extra effort that needs to be put in. So, if you are thinking about being in one or are already in one, I put together a couple<\/a> of things I wish I had known 4 years ago and what I\u2019ve learned along the way:<\/p>\n

1. Dedicate Time Together<\/strong>. Just because you aren\u2019t in the same place doesn\u2019t mean you can slack off on dating, because it is still a relationship. Some fun ideas for LDR dates that have worked for us are binge watching a show or watching a movie. You both pull it up, and \u2018ready, set, PLAY\u201d. It\u2019s fun because you can watch the movie while having your partner next to it, so you can watch all their reactions on the screen, which personally, I think is the best part.<\/p>\n

2. Dedicate Time For Yourself.<\/strong> In a long distance relationship, it is easy to want to spend all your free time on Facetime or texting, but make sure you put your phone down often to do things for yourself and pay attention to the life you are living and the people around you.<\/p>\n

3. Plan Ahead.<\/strong> Plan when you\u2019re going to see each other again. If neither of you knows when\/if you\u2019ll see each other again, this creates a lot of anxiety and unnecessary relationship stress.<\/p>\n

4. Set Goals Together.<\/strong> Even if they are goals you complete separately, trust me, setting a common goal and achieving it brings you closer together.<\/p>\n

5. Communication.<\/strong> Communication, communication, communication. I can\u2019t stress it enough. Technically, it\u2019s all we have in long distance relationships. Without the constant physicality of your partner, all that\u2019s left is communication, and if it isn\u2019t healthy, the relationship will falter. Always work together, because in the end, you are still a team, and communication is your best ally. If you have strong communication and you are finally together in the same space, your relationship will be a million times stronger. I promise.<\/p>\n

\"\"Michaela Hook is a GLAAD Campus Ambassador<\/strong>\u00a0and senior at Chapman University studying Creative Writing. She hopes to one day start a creative writing magazine for LGBTQ+ youth.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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February 14, 2018<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Issues:\u00a0<\/div>\n