10 LDR Tips

Hello everybody!
Today's post is on...

10 Long Distance Relationship (LDR) Tips:

Communication is the key to any relationship, in an LDR especially. Take some time out of your day to talk to your s.o/boyfriend/girlfriend.

1. "Good Morning" and "Good Night" texts/messages are crucial. It let's the other person know that they are on your mind and that you care for them.

2. Schedule times to talk to your s.o via Skype or other video/audio messenger or phone (as in actually call them, not text/message).

3. Send pictures of yourself (selfies, outfits of the days, etc), where you live, something that reminded you of them, and something funny/interesting, etc. You can use Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook (FB), FB messenger, and etc.

4. Plan the next time you will meet each other in person. It will give both you and your s.o something to look forward to. It will feel like more he/she is somewhere away for short term rather than long term.

5. Update each other; talk about what happened that day, your new/old friends, experiences, interestong facts and etc. (This also related to #3).

6. Write love letters. Tell how much you love and miss and care for your s.o. They sound silly, but it means a lot to the person receiving on the other end.

7. Make a bucket list. If your boyfriend/girlfriend is coming home for the summer (or week, etc) make a list of all the things you want to do with them. That can be going to see the movie both of you want to see, going to a particular restaurant, baking/cooking together, watching a movie at home and cuddling, playing a videogame together and so much more! Share that bucket list with your s.o and you will (maybe) get more ideas from them as well.

8. Talk about your new/old friends. The more your s.o knows about your life and friends, the more they will feel included and part of your life.

9. TMIs (Too Much Information s). Sharing your TMIs can bring two people closer together (make sure it's something that you would not mind sharing!) And (again) that will make them feel more included.

10. Trust and be honest with each other. If you don't feel comfortable with something your s.o does let him/her know.

I hope this list is helpful. I used advice from friends and parents to make this list.

Thanks all for reading this post!
Until next time,
~ Marina

Skype and LDRs

Hello fellow LDRs and readers!
I don't usually use Skype because I was fortunate enough to see my boyfriend and friends in person. But now, since it has been almost a week of LDR (Long Distance Relationship), this app/program can change everything. It can make you go from sad and slightly depressed to very happy.

Seeing your significant other (s.o) via webcam on Skype is the best thing in the world (other than seeing them in person). Conversations are different, you are able to communicate like face-to-face but without physical touch.

When I talk on Skype and FB messenger, there is a pretty big difference in how I talk. Via Skype (voice or video or both), I am more positive; while via FB Messenger, I am more negative. Oh, how much I hate the FB Messengers "seen ___" feature. Seeing that your boyfriend or s.o seen your message at a particular time but didn't reply until like 20 minutes later can give paranoia.

Skyping once a week can do wonders to a relationship from what I heard. But planning each session because of the different schedules can be difficult.

For those that are not in the same time zone as their s.o, you also have the time difference. That is difficult. From what I remember earlier in the year, when E when to Spain for 2 weeks, was not easy. The 5 hour difference really screwed up my sleeping schedule; I stayed up until 4-5am just to have a quick 5 minute conversation before he goes on tours around Spain and Morocco.

This time, E and I are in the same time zone, which makes things a lot easier for both of us.  I have even downloaded a countdown app and put in some dates that I know he will be coming back home.

The next time I'll see him is next week (Sept 13) and I am really looking forward to it!

After that, I think he will try coming for our Commencement (Oct 9) but he won't be able to stay for long as he has classes the next day. It is also the weekend of Canadian Thanksgiving and he will be staying for around 3 days (hopefully).

So far, the first 6 days of LDR have been pretty rocky between us... I had a hard time accepting that our friend group dne (using the Calculus term ... "Does not exist") anymore because of different Universities and new friends. I am a pessimist and my boyfriend is (fortunately) not.

Going back for the victory lap semester is not as bad as it seems to me anymore. A lot of people from my age came back for another round too and I have reconnected with my previous years classmates. I have an old friend (from middle school), who came back as well, and we will be keeping each other company and restart our friendship again. I have " new" (old) friends in every class and these past few days went by quickly and fun.

That's all for this post!
Thanks for reading,
~ Marina

Personal

Hello everyone!
I apologize for the lack of blog entries... But I was pretty busy spending the maximum time I can with my boyfriend before leaves/moves to university which is in another city.
Oh the joys of LDR (Long Distance Relationship)... I must say that I am (now) going through a difficult time. Adjusting from a regular relationship to an LDR is harder than I thought.
Realizing that if I am lucky enough I'll see him maybe once or twice a month is making my heart hurt.
I have always been an "over thinker" and (now) I really wish I wasn't.
Our friend group (we are in the same friend group) has separated into different paths. Half are staying in our home city and others are moving away. I am staying in the city because of my parents (being over(ly) protective).
My boyfriend had a choice between staying or going. The university he wanted to go to was far away. I want him to go to the university he wants no matter where it is and for him not to have any regrets. I didn't want to be that girlfriend that forced her boyfriend to stay. I know that our relationship will go through this "bump" and we will be fine. Trusting each other is the key in any relationship.

In a way, I feel like I lost my best friend too (him also being my best friend). Now, things are going to change pretty dramatically and I hate change. I always hated change, but now I have no choice but to accept it and move on. Since, my-our friend group is all split up, I am forced to make new friends too... Or temporary "replacements".

This summer went by so quickly and I barely saw him in July because of summer courses I took (and his job). August was really short too... He went to Miami and worked. We got 2 weeks to spend a mere week with each other and then *poof* he's gone.

I really wish that we had more time to spend with each other but unfortunately that was not the case. The summer was a blur and so was this year in general.

This year has been good and bad for me. It was good because I fell in love with my best friend and he makes me deliriously happy.

It was also bad because a certain calculus and vectors (math) teacher disappeared in the middle of the term. Not that she even taught anyway, but at least she took up textbook examples. When she left all my class of 10 got " I don't want to teach anything because your teacher will be back next week" or "here's the questions, do them". The school's office did a terrible job too. They didn't tell us (the students) that our teacher is not coming back and the supply teachers did nothing.
I know I should have asked for help from NY friends (smart group) but they all had a very difficult semester. Chemistry, Calculus and Vectors, and Physics. My boyfriend went to sleep at 2 or 3am every night trying to finish everything. But all of my friends had a different calculus teacher and she actually taught. I couldn't transfer into their ass because all of her classes were full. So, I was stuck in a very sticky situation. I didn't want to bother anyone for help because everyone was way too busy.

All conditional acceptances from all the programs at universities that I applied to were accepted. When the final marks came in, they took my offer back. All because of that damn calculus mark. I applied to the university's summer school extension but didn't get it.

Then I retook calculus and vectors (I refer to it as just calculus) and got  90% in summer school. My unicersity's admissions officer promised to give my acceptance back if all the conditions were met. And they were after I retook the course, but when they got my transcripts... The admissions officer just gave me a "everything is full, I'll put you on the waiting list" speech.

That's the story of why I am not going to university this year.

Having the marks to get in to university and not getting in... Is a stroke of bad luck. Unfortunately, it runs in my family. Both of my parents didn't get in the first time they applied even though they are smart. My dad was 0.5% away from getting in and my mom missed a deadline because of health reasons. As for me... It was the irresponsible math teacher and school. If I knew the teacher wasn't coming back for good...I would've dropped the course or got a tutor.

Lesson of the day: don't trust teachers and the school and the university.

Being the only person in my group not going into university this year sucks. It means I will be left out of all the experiences they will have and university/college life. Everyone will have new friends and replacements except me. Through out all of my life I have been always "left out", until this year when I found people that understood me. It seems like even in this friend group I will be left out now too.

My choices are either stay at home (because my dad says "why work now when you'll be working your whole life after? Take a break") or do a victory lap in high school.

Both choices are depressing (and I wouldn't be surprised if I will be depressed by the end of this school year) and suck.

I'd like to think of this as a lifetime opportunity to rediscover myself and enjoy life for a year stress free (somewhat until the university application process starts again). But right now, I feel too depressed about this whole situation.

One of the upsides is that both my boyfriend and I would be graduating in 2019 because I'll be going a year late and he has 1 year of co-op in his program.

Another upside that my friends have is that their summer starts 2 months earlier than mine. If I go for a victory lap that is. I mean, I could just take all the fun courses and not even need to get good marks for it, so I guess that doesn't matter either.

For all those people that are still in highschool: take fun courses, join clubs and sports teams. Don't be me who had to be forced by my parents not to join anything and take all unfun courses! Enjoy yourself in highschool.

I might as well make this blog a model horse photography and rambling AND dealing with LDR blog.

I think this experience (of documenting all the "bumps") will become useful for those who are not sure if they want to do an LDR or are just curious (?).

I probably made some grammatical and spelling mistakes in this blog post because I am writing this at 3:25am and on my smartphone. So, I apologize for that.

Also, if anyone has a comment or opinion or anything they want to say or need some advice... Comment down below!

That's all for this post!

~Marina

I must say... The feeling of getting your acceptance taken back is the worst feeling ever in the feelings of educational institutions. Don't " pull" a me please!