Arrivals-The Moment So Anticipated

Arrivals: Written by Matthew Ruxton

Sitting.....standing.....tapping your feet.....consuming copious amounts of coffee. These are some of the main actions you are doing when you wait for the other half of your LDR at the airport. It’s a stressful time. In my opinion, the person who has to wait, has it hardest. Now my other half might disagree, but you get all excited getting to the airport, and then you have to wait. It’s made worse too if your respective half has to travel through International arrivals. You sit there patiently watching the arrivals screen, waiting for that update at 10:29, then it tells you it has arrived, but you still have to wait as they go through Immigration, baggage claim, and customs, before they walk through the frosty doors of your home airport.

I personally love the moments of reunification though. You feel whole again. You feel like you are on top of the earth. It’s what keeps you going. It’s what keeps you together.

It’s really all about the love you share for each other. If you don’t get excited, you don’t get nervous, or you don’t get that rush of love when he or she walks through the door then maybe an LDR isn’t for you. 

I’ve always known that it’s for me. I never regret the decision, and I don’t think I ever will. 

Arrivals: Written by Hannah Lyons

The day has finally come when the countdown is over, bags are packed, and boarding pass in hand. It's such a great feeling knowing you will be seeing your long distance love in a few short hours after starting a countdown at 102 days. The worst part about being the one having to travel, is everything you have to go through before being together again. In my situation, it's security, then waiting to board the plane, then the plane ride, then getting off the plane and having to go through immigration, baggage claim, and customs. 

But the moment that makes that journey so worth it, is walking through those frosted glass doors, and seeing my Scotsman standing there, waiting for me, and like he says, you feel whole again. There is NO feeling like being in each others arms again, and appreciating every moment you have together during your stay. Matthew and I have been through a lot together, and it is safe to say that we are Long Distance Relationship pros. But no matter how many times we are reunited, the same feeling of being anxious, excited, and full of love come flowing back. And I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything! Only certain people are made for an LDR, and if you are strong enough to make it through, that is amazing! If you are in an LDR, ALWAYS cherish those moments of being reunited! 

Staying Happy in Your LDR When Apart

Are you that couple that as soon as you are together, you are the happiest couple in the world but once you leave each other your world feels like it is crashing down on you? That is how most long distance relationship couples are. And it is totally ok to feel like that. But the real challenge is how to remain that happy smiling couple when away from each other. Communication is key in a long distance relationship, and there are ways to keep your relationship alive when apart.

FaceTime, Skype, and Google Hangout Dates

FaceTime (if you have a Mac product) is the best way to communicate while in a long distance relationship. It is a great way to be able to see each other and talk about how your day was. The debate has been whether to set a time to chat, or call each other whenever it is convenient. And I think it is great to meet in the middle. Because of school, work, or whatever else you may have going on; it can be difficult to chat every night. However, setting aside time (one hour a day) to see your long distance love is very important to keep your relationship strong. If for some reason one of you has something going on during your normal “date” time, be sure to communicate with each other beforehand. Skype and Google Hangouts is also a great to stay connected. Google Hangouts is great because you can play around with hats that you can “wear” on-screen and even watch YouTube together.

Care Packages

Another great way to keep your love strong when apart is sending care packages to each other. Care packages can be hard when deciding what to put in it, and paying postage can be stressful. So if you work, put together a care package right after a paycheck, so you can focus on putting all things your long distance love likes, into the box without having to be really tight with money. Be sure to put everything he/she likes in the box (ex: favorite candy, favorite food, themed for holidays). You can even top it off with love coupons (PG rated of course) with things like “date night out” or “homemade meal”.

Countdown

Having a countdown in your long distance relationship is very important. It can be hard buying flights and figuring out how to see each other often, but seeing each other as often as possible is one of the most important thing in your LDR. Switch off seeing each other and have him come see you or you go see him. Having that countdown is very important and keeps your love strong while apart because it gives you something to look forward to, rather than dwelling on the fact that you aren’t together.

So stay strong LDR couples!