So you’ve fallen for somebody who lives in a different city or state. Whether you met online or while on vacation (how you met isn’t the point here), the question is what do you do now? Do you lean in and continue to let the connection grow, or cut it off and enter the dating pool in your zip code? How committed are you to this person? Would you ever consider moving if things got super serious? These are just a handful of things to think about when pondering an LDR.
To guide us with some professional insight we tapped Michelle Afont, relationship expert, divorce lawyer, and multi-published author whose most recent work is The Dang Factor, to share her thoughts on how to make a long-distance relationship work.
“Depending on what stage of the relationship you are in, absolutely! As long as you feel comfortable and there are no trust issues, dating long-distance can be quite exciting and help keep the spark alive. With that being said, it’s vital that planning be done so that you can see each other on a regular basis. If you attempt to date long-distance and only see each other every so often, that will get you nowhere and will not be successful. It is also important that both parties are committed to the relationship.
“With any long-distance relationship, there will come a point where decisions need to be made. In other words, if marriage and/or children are in your future, being long-distance would not be practical. At some point, you would need to establish your ‘home base’ and establish a more traditional geographical relationship.”
The best thing you can do is trust your gut and go with it—whether that’s ending the communication because you truly don’t see yourself or your potential partner relocating, or on the flip side, taking a chance and living in the moment and mutually deciding to figure out the logistics as things advance. Deep down you’ll know which option is best for you.
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Michelle Afont is a relationship expert, divorce lawyer, and author of The Dang Factor. She has witnessed firsthand the reasons for the demise of over 50% of the marriages throughout the United States. Her vast experience in the world of breakups, heartbreak, makeups, and re-launching love is the reason she changes the way women love. Michelle has conducted extensive research on the intricacies of love, commitment, faithfulness, and what really makes a relationship work. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more relationship advice.
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