The BuzzFeed Community recently asked its followers to describe the hardest part about being in an international long-distance relationship. Here are some of their responses.
1. The ratio of time spent apart versus time together is so extreme: You spend six months apart, and two weeks together.
2. You have to send photos and videos as a replacement for you or them not being there.
3. You see other couples kissing, holding hands, and generally enjoying each other’s IRL presence, knowing that you still have another 181 days before you can do those things, too.
4. You are all too familiar with the double-edged sword that is Skype: Hearing the person’s voice and seeing them makes you long for them even more.
5. And on the topic of Skype, let's talk about attempting Skype Sex.
6. You can't introduce your significant other to friends, family, or co-workers, leaving you at parties with your single friends like:
7. You realize that sometimes, words just aren't enough.
8. You get jealous, but not the kind most people would expect.
9. You just have plain old "Hard Days."
10. You have to deal with people who say that international long distance isn't a "real relationship..."
11. ...or who casually suggest that your partner is cheating on you because of the distance.
12. You also have to answer the dreaded "What are you going to do?" question.
13. You have to acknowledge passport privilege when it comes to who visits whom.
14. You have to carefully word your response to customs when they ask why you are entering the country.
15. And when you do see each other, it feels more like vacation and less like real life.
16. If you have to deal with a language barrier, it can be difficult to make a good impression on your partner's parents.
17. You have to say goodbye at the airport.
18. You must also confront the unavoidable and ironic fear that after all the work that goes into adjusting to distance, you will not be able to handle the constant closeness when you do finally live in the same place.
19. But all of these are justified when you realize why you are doing this in the first place.
