Long-distance relationships: tips on making them work, from clear communication to planning an endgame
- Experts say rituals like setting a time for when to connect with each other when apart will keep a long-distance relationship strong and healthy
- Couples should also learn to embrace their independence, set up expectations for visits and enjoy individual experiences
The longest distance Matthew Harris and Maya Thompson were ever apart was more than 20 hours in the air – or the amount of time it takes to fly from Chicago in the United States to Sydney, Australia. That was in the beginning of their two-year relationship.
The couple both live in Chicago now, but for months, Harris, 24, and Thompson, 23, were in a long-distance relationship when she was finishing university in California and he was beginning his career in Chicago, and again when she was working temporarily in Sydney.
What happens when there are unexpected roadblocks that force a relationship to become long distance – like a job offer in a new city or someone wanting to move closer to family? All of a sudden, a budding courtship could become rooted in separate places.
Communicate
When Harris and Thompson began dating in 2017 it was after being friends since they were little kids, so they were comfortable communicating during Thompson’s senior year at Stanford University. Harris was just starting his career in Chicago.