1. Every visit is like a mini-honeymoon.  You plan what you’re going to do together for months in advance and then when the time actually comes you throw all plans out the window and savor your time together while it lasts.

2. You can’t avoid your problems. Instead of making out to ignore your issues you have to actually discuss them — there’s no dancing around them.

3. Speaking of problems, you learn to communicate your issues better. In long distance there’s no such thing as storming out the room to let them know you’re upset. It’s hard enough to read their mind when you’re sitting next to the person but it’s nearly impossible over Skype or through text message. Long distance forces you to tell the other person when you’re upset so that you both can talk through your issues and figure it out together.

4.  Hand-written letters are just about the most romantic thing ever, and you will receive tons of them. Because your partner can’t just drop by to be romantic, they will instead send you carefully crafted notes.

5. You will also become better at verbalizing your feelings for the other person. Because you can’t physically be there to hug them or kiss them, you have to oftentimes rely on your words.

6. Independence becomes important. Yes, you love your significant other, but you have to leave the house and do your own thing. There’s no option for you to become sucked into whatever they’re doing when they’re thousands of miles away. You retain your own hobbies and friends while getting to keep your awesome relationship.