Every long-distance relationship begins (more or less) the same in terms of the intentions. They are the best. Both parties believe the relationship will not suffer the casualties of time and space, both parties are certain their love (or like) is enough to get through it all, both parties don't dare question the fact that over 68% of long-distance relationships end in heartbreak. 

As I recently entered a long-distance relationship, I found myself in need of wisdom from some friends who have made it work, those who are in the thick of it, and those who unfortunately did not beat that statistic. If you're in a similar situation - hopefully these tidbits will help you as much as they helped me. 

From those who were successful: 

"It's worth it. It's hard work. If you like the work, just like a job, you're going to succeed at it. We met at school but we didn't start dating until we were in different cities and by the time we starting dating we were in two very distant cities. I came back to Boston [where he was] because I knew the city from going to college, it had a good tech scene, and of course because by boyfriend was here and I wanted to be with him."

When it comes to long distance relationships, Lesley recommends "making it a priority. Stay in touch and communicate with them. It's really easy when you're far apart to do your own thing and forget about the other person."

- 2 years and 2 weeks in a long distance relationship. {Boston <> Chicago}

"When I went into that long distance relationship I really wanted it to work. I had been in long distance relationships that didn't work out, and so had she. I decided to take steps to show I was serious about it. That translated to me flying down every 2 weeks to Florida, while I was finishing out my senior year." Jonathan goes on to talk about what a crazy time it was, and how there was an instant connection that he didn't want to see fizzle out. "We texted A LOT.... and this was with flip phone T9 texting in the good ol' days. We even thanked Verizon on our wedding program." Despite the nonstop communication, Jonathan agrees it takes work, but in the end helped them develop a strong relationship over the years. 

- 10 months in a long distance relationship {Boston <> Florida}

For those of you reading this today, your thumbs can rejoice for we have iPhones! Says Lara "Visit each other - make it work. But FaceTime was a game changer. It makes you feel more real and that helps you feel like the other person is right there." 

- 2 years in a long distance relationship {Portland <> Cambridge}

From those who are going through this now: 

"Mix up your stay-cations and your vacations. It's very important to balance vacations with staycations. The ability to go to where he was and hang out with him and pretend we were just in a normal relationship was critical to our success. If you always do a vacation, you turn what is a true relationship into a vacation relatinoship, which is quite different.

It will never be easy. It sucks. It sucks forever. It's not like it gets easier... but you do get something out of it. One thing my Mom said to me was 'when you're in a relatnioship, every decsiions you make belongs to someone else' You have to make sure that when you go somewhere that might stress you out, you continue to tell that person what's going on in your life. It takes practice and that's what makes it better."

- 2 years in a long distance {San Fran <> Boston}

"If you do long distance and then move to the same city, make sure you live separately for a few months. Find a space together after that time - that way it's YOUR place together, not either partners. While you're in the relationship - try to plan your next visit with each other before you actually visit so you're always leaving with a "see you soon" rather than 'when will we be together again?!'"

- 2 years in long distance {Boston <> Philadelphia} 

From those who look back on it as a fond memory: 

"You want to have a plan for when it's not going to be long distance. If there's no theoretical "end" it could be toxic to your relationship. The time that you DO have together is really special, so that's really exciting. BUT because we had all these short exciting times, it meant that we didn't necessarily consider all the other problems, you know? Like in a steady state, would this actually work out? When you're home, you're not single, but you're also free to do whatever you want. You get some of the perks of the single life, it's a stressor off an early relationship." 

- 2 years in the long distance relationship {Boston <> Milwaukee} 

"Anytime you meet, be boring. Do non-exciting things to make sure it doesn't seem magical every time you meet. 

You can never tell if somethings wrong... and it would just boil over. It is uneasy to do that " 

- 6 years in a long distance relationship {Boston <> Dublin}

Sometimes, it's the distance that does the trick, and makes people reveal who they really are. "Realize that people are living their lives. It's easy to overthink not getting a text back." Jared recommends having a strong independent lifestyle to begin with, that way both parties are standing firm on their own, not dependent on each other for happiness or self-worth. 

In the end, consider all the things that go into a good healthy relationship regardless of distance - be yourself, communicate, and be honest with each other. Without those as a foundation it'll make a hard thing that much harder. And remember, have fun when you're alone, nearby, or far away and be grateful that someone out there somewhere is thinking of you fondly. <3