Whether you’re in the midst of it right now, or you have finally made it to the wonderful other side, you know a long-distance relationship is something that you wouldn’t wish on anyone. But there’s no denying that as challenging as it is or was, living apart from one another only brought you and your significant other closer together. Here are 17 reasons why long-distance couples have the strongest relationships.
1. You learn to appreciate the little moments just as much as the big ones.
Whether it’s getting to wake up together during a weekend visit, or finally getting a phone call after being too busy to talk to them all day, you cherish the casual, everyday aspects of a relationship just as much as the big things.
2. You have no choice but to learn how to be your own individuals.
Most people in relationships make a conscious effort to be their own person, and it can be very challenging. But when you live in two completely different places, it’s easy to have your own routine, your own group of friends, your own hobbies, and your own little way of enjoying your alone time.
3. Time truly becomes a gift, and you learn how to appreciate it.
Those last fifteen minutes in the car together before one of you has to catch a flight are usually some of the most memorable and special moments you’ve ever experienced together.
4. The future is much more exciting than it is daunting.
Being away from each other is so hard that, rather than worrying about whether or not you think you make a good pair together or whether or not you should commit, all you’re thinking about is what steps you can take to finally be together.
5. You can make each other smile in the simplest ways.
Through surprise care packages, cards in the mail, or even just a funny email sent to a work inbox, you know how to cheer each other up and make each other’s days through the simplest actions.
6. You understand what it’s like to live a day-to-day life without the other person, and you know that it’s the last thing you want. So when it comes to prioritizing your significant other, and being a good partner, you’ll do everything you can. Because you already know what life is like without each other, and it’s not something you ever want to face or something you ever want to lose.
7. Sometimes a simple “good morning” text can help you get through an entire day. And it’s a good reminder that you’re with someone who has the power to make you feel loved and cared about with a couple of words.
8. You take nothing for granted. You can’t even hold them for twenty seconds without feeling pure joy and gratitude.
9. Out of pure necessity, trust becomes a key factor in your relationship. Trust is an important factor in any relationship, but in a situation where you’re probably seeing each other less than once a month, you have no choice but to learn how to count on each other and have faith in one another.
10. You come up with much more creative ways to feel connected to one another. Whether it’s watching a Netflix show at the same time and even on the phone together, or reading the same book, or tagging each other in funny Instagram photos, you’re always thinking outside the box in terms of ways to interact and feel close to each other.
11. You truly learn how to talk to one another. When you’re physically together, it’s much easier to just cuddle up in front of the tv or have a casual conversation over takeout. But when the primary form of communication in a relationship is the phone, you end up talking about anything and everything – specific things that happened at your job today, things you’re excited about, fears, things causing you anxiety, etc.
12. You end up reflecting on your relationship very honestly. LDR’s involve a lot of coordination – asking for days off, saving up money for flights, knowing when you’re free to talk on the phone. It requires even more work than a regular relationship. So you can’t help but be very open with yourself about whether or not you see a future with this person and what it is about them that makes you willing to drive or fly hundreds of miles to be with them for forty-eight hours.
13. It’s easy to figure out what’s really worth fighting about. When you can be with each other 24/7, getting into squabbles about trivial things doesn’t require a second’s thought – it’s easy to kiss and make up in person. But being with someone who lives in a different city means really thinking about what needs to be hashed out, and when your anger can just be let go.
14. You become experts at crafting the perfect text. Whether you want to make them laugh, smirk, or cheer them up in the middle of a particularly rough day, you’re great at figuring out exactly what to say in just a few words.
15. You learn how deep the value of loyalty can go. It’s an important value in any relationship, but for a long-distance couple it means more than being faithful and good to one another. It also means honoring the daily rituals you two have become accustomed to, never forgetting to call, always making an effort to surprise your partner, and doing everything you can to make the separation easier until you can finally be together.
16. You start to appreciate little quirks about them that you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. The way they pronounce certain words, the expressions they love to use, their favorite YouTube videos to send you. It’s always the silly, insignificant stuff that somehow makes you like them even more.
17. When you finally do live in the same place, you appreciate each other in ways different from most. Just the idea that you can say “see you after work!” or that you can wake up to them handing you a cup of coffee brings you a kind of happiness and contentment that many couples fail to even notice. You’re in a relationship that’s all about the little things, and nothing is stronger than that. 
