Relationships 300+ Miles Apart

In a world where anyone is an instant message away, how did we ever survive? That is a rhetorical question and one in which many of us can answer, but no need to digress. We are hear to talk about how relationships have gone digital and to discuss a little about online dating/match making. We can now maintain relationship with a significant other 300 plus miles away and are ever increasingly more involved with them and their lives than we ever have been. Here is a video talking about three secrets to making a long distance relationship last.

Speaking from personal experience, I started a relationship in highschool with my now Fiancé in which we saw each other everyday and in the evenings would text and talk on the phone or via skype, google hangout, yahoo messenger, etc., for hours. We had the ability to be in constant contact. Now, without moderation, I think this can be a little unhealthy. Continuing our relationship, I graduated high school being two years older and went of to college in a little town called Greenville, IL. It’s about

forty five minutes east of St. Luis, but over three hundred miles from home. Technology allowed us to stay in touch in a number of ways and gave us the ability to grow in our relationship. Now, don’t get me wrong, any chance I received, I made an effort to meet in person and go home. Nothing is better than being with the person you love in person. No form of technology has the ability to supplement that, but I will say that it sure does help one stay connected and can enhance a relationship even over distance.

I know that my Fiancé and I are quite the exception when it comes to finding someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. Not many people can say that they are marrying their high school sweethearts. This leads me to the topic of online dating and starting and building a relationship via this front. There are many online dating sites and I am sure that most people have heard of eHarmony? Arguably one of the most popular of them. Well, what do I think of them? To be 100%. I think that online dating is just another way to meet people and to get to know them. Of course, there are a lot of nuances that come along with that and precautions to take, but if done right, it can be really beneficial. You will still have to meet face to face and figure out who the person you are engaging with is, as in any other way of meeting people, but it gives the ability to put oneself out there and minimizes the chance of rejection. In fact, it probably increases one’s ability find a date or start a relationship because they both have to explicitly put themselves out there expressing their desire for a relationship when by other means, you have no idea if the other person even likes you and are limited to one’s personal network.

There are pros and cons to each. For some It is a matter of preference and even convenience. For others, not so much. Check out this wikihow to for some tips when it comes to the madness of online dating. Definitely some great tips in there and precautions to take.

Regardless of what medium you decide is for you or in which you want to venture down, be respectful, be yourself, and take things slow. No need to hurry and or rush into things. I mean, it’s been 5 years for my girlfriend and I and we just got engaged as of the 24th of October.

Oh, and here is a video that I found pretty interesting that talks about the origination of match making found on fivethirtyeight.com. Check it out!