Long  Distance  Relationships  By  Leslie  Jo  Saul  February  25,  2014    As  people  grow  older  and  move  away  from  each  other  it  becomes  harder  and  harder  to  maintain  friendships.  It  becomes  apparent  pretty  quickly  that  relationships  across  distances  take  a  lot  of  work.  People’s  lives  get  busier  as  they  develop  mature  romantic  relationships,  make  great  strides  in  their  careers,  experience  losses  in  their  families,  or  gain  new  family  members.  With  all  of  that  going  on  directly  in  front  of  you  it  becomes  difficult  to  be  mindful  of  those  friends  who  are  far  away  and  remember  to  keep  in  touch.  However,  there  are  a  few  key  things  you  can  do  to  maintain  long  distance  relationships  with  friends  and  loved  ones.    

First,  plan  trips  to  see  each  other.  This  could  be  a  special  vacation,  or  simply  a  road  trip  where  you’ll  meet  halfway  for  lunch.  Looking  forward  to  and  planning  a  trip  together  will  bring  you  closer.  

Make  sure  you  are  following  your  friend’s  activity  online.  Engage  with  what  they  post  on  social  media  sites,  send  them  texts  when  you  are  thinking  of  them  and  call  them  whenever  you  are  able.  These  little  things  will  keep  you  involved  in  the  day-­‐to-­‐day  happenings  of  life  around  them.  

In  addition  to  randomly  calling  or  texting,  make  sure  you  schedule  ‘dates.’  It’s  nice  to  schedule  a  phone  call  or  a  video  chat.  That  way  you  will  look  forward  to  hearing  from  the  person  and  you  make  sort  of  an  ‘event’  out  of  seeing  each  other  for  an  hour.  

Make  sure  you  make  it  to  the  big  events.  Even  though  traveling  is  costly,  it  is  worth  it  for  the  weddings  and  baby  showers  and  major  birthdays.  Being  present  for  those  important  events  saves  friendships  and  will  leave  a  lasting  impression  on  your  relationship.  

Finally,  send  physical  mail,  messages,  and  gifts  letting  your  friend  know  that  you  are  thinking  about  them.  This  is  nice  on  occasions  like  birthdays,  but  even  more  important  when  they  least  expect  it.  Send  a  long  heart-­‐felt,  physical  letter  to  send  your  love.  It  will  mean  the  world  and  help  your  long  distance  relationship  last.  

   Leslie  Jo  Saul  is  a  Certified  Master  Neuro-­‐Linguistic  Life  Coach  (MNLP)  and  Clinical  Hypnotherapist  (C.ht).  Leslie  received  her  diploma  in  Healing  and  Success  Arts  and  Sciences  from  Bennett  Stellar  University,  an  internationally  recognized  school  of  Life  Coaching,  with  emphasis  in  relationships  and  certifications  in  the  additional  areas  of  DreamSculpting®,  TimeLine  Regression  &  Trauma  Release,  Hypnosis  Mastery,  and  Communications  and  Life  Mastery.