Using The Internet To Make Long Distance Easier

I didn’t meet my boyfriend online, but we’re trying to do the long-distance thing right now, so it’s basically like we’re in an online relationship. Is there anything we can do online to make things easier besides e-mail? My phone bills are getting out of control.
Lindsay in Seattle (not Boston, where my boyfriend is).

Well Lindsay, long distance is hard now matter how strong your relationship is. When you meet someone through online personals, you don’t notice it as much because that’s all you’ve known with that person. But when you are put in a situation where you have to go from a real-world relationship to an online relationship, it can be a difficult transition.

The easiest way to deal with the distance is to make it feel like you’re still in the same area. Obviously phone calls were the go-to option of the 90s, but now that we have so many free (and better!) options online, we can hang the phone up and get our phone bills back to normal.

Instead of talking to them on the phone, invest in a cheap web cam and engage in your normal routine online! Skyping with your partner is as close to being in the same room as you can get. You get to see their facial expressions as they talk, their movements as they gesture, and their physical reactions to you as you interact. If you have a weekly event the two of you usually do together at home (have a specific dinner, watch a certain show, played a certain board game), you can still do it over Skype. Making the same dinner and eating it ‘together’ through webcam is a great way to feel like you’re on a date with your boyfriend, when in reality you’re quite far away.

Trying your best to uphold old routines you had before is the best way to ease the long-distance pain, and video chatting is a perfect gateway to make it happen.