I would like to formally introduce you all to my boyfriend, Keith. He is so excited to finally be making his debut on Curated by Courtney!
Keith and I have been dating for almost 5 years, and have been doing long-distance for a little over 2 years now. Long-distance is tough. That being said it is so worth it though. I am excited to be teaming up with Mouton Cadet and the Ryder Cup to tell you our tips on how to make a long-distance relationship work.
Communication
This is the most important thing. When you are in a long-distance relationship you have to work to talk to one another. It is so easy to get caught up at work, with friends, running errands, etc., and then you remember you haven’t talked to your significant other in hours. Something as little as a, “Hope you are having a great day!”, at 2 in the afternoon means the world when you cannot talk face to face.
Taking up Each Others Hobbies
This blog post is the perfect example of this. I love this little space I get to call my own in the digital world, and Keith loves to golf and drink wine. I told him if he took these pictures for me we could go to the golf range and I would cook him dinner, wine included of course! When you are constantly traveling to see in one another there is not a lot of extra time to do what you like to do. Finding things you both enjoy doing together gives you a sense of normal.
Put Time on Your Calendar
Being in a long-distance relationship has made both Keith and I expert planners. You have to plan out weeks in advance to find time when you can see one another. When Keith and I first started long-distance we let the weeks pass us by and then realized we were missing out on prime opportunities when we could have been in the same place. Use your calendars and plan when your next visit to see each other will be! This also gives you something to look forward to when you leave each other.
Quality Time
This is something Keith and I continually struggle with but is super important. Finding time for each other, whether it is going on a walk, grabbing a bite to eat, whatever it may be, is super important. One time Keith and I went 9 weeks without having any quality time. I saw him probably 5 out of those 9 weekends, but we were constantly doing things with friends or out of town for weddings. I kept having that, “I know I saw him but I do not feel like I really saw him”, feeling. Make QT a priority!
Don’t Give Up
Something which always helps me get up chin up when I am feeling down is knowing this situation is temporary. Long-distance has a lot of cons but also many pros. It is has helped both Keith and I grow so much individually which has made us the best we have ever been together. Our relationship is built on the foundation of our trust in God’s plan for us. Constantly talking into the phone and FaceTime is one of the most frustrating parts of long-distance to me but in God’s timing I know we will be in the same place together!
If you are in a long-distance relationship I would love to hear your tips and how you make it work! Feel free to send me an email at courtney@curatedbycourtney.com or comment below.
His Look
Her Look
Long distance isn’t the end of the world! Trey and I started long distance a few months ago, and let me tell you, it was a serious adjustment for us. We went from living together and being around each other 90% of the time, to being 1,100 miles apart. There are still tough days – days when I just need his hug, or would kill to hear his laugh. But, we remind each other that this is only temporary! We won’t be spending the rest of our lives apart, just the next few months. We’re apart because we’re doing what’s best for our own futures, in order to better our future together. We also have to remember that our marriage, and the life we’re creating for our children is much more important than these small sacrifices we face right now. And above all, we lean on the Lord for guidance, support, and unconditional love. He reminds us that His love is never failing, and that we need to give that same love to each other.
At the end of the day, we couldn’t see ourselves with anyone else, and that keeps us fighting!
My boyfriend and I have been doing distance for a little over a year now! He goes to A&M, works for the football team (fall is always a rough semester since he is gone traveling with the team) and as you know I go to Texas Tech! We both love our schools and one another. I can relate to all your tips you’ve shared! Ryley (my boyfriend) and I have found sending one another care packages really helps us with the long-distance situation. It’s so nice coming home after a long day of school, work, errands or whatever to a little package on my door step filled with goodies I love, insiders, pictures, sweet notes or things we have mentioned needing or wanting via FaceTime! He was having a terrible week last semester during finals and I sent him a care package filled with snacks for studying, his favorite pens and a card. He said it really turned his week around and knowing I could help in the slightest made my heart happy! Just thought I would share with ya! Hope all is well.