I remember when the Internet was first presented to me. I was 16 years old, and ready for love. Of course, I wasn’t like a normal boy (at the time), I wanted someone to love, hold, and maybe have a family with someday.

I got on a dating website whose name I can’t even remember. I chatted with tons of individuals. The thing about chatting back in those days was: IT WAS FUN! But what came along with a lot of these chats were long distant relationships! Here are a few tips on maintaining a fairly good long distance relationship.

Trew Life Effort: Average

Trew Time Required: Ongoing

Let's Get Busy:

• Establish some ground rules.
  Get everything in the open. The best thing to do is be true. Establish if you feel it's okay to mess around in someone else's kool-aid, or if the two of you are exlusive. Set a mandatory amount of time you'll go before seeing each other.

• Snail mail is an inexpensive, and romantic way to stay in touch.
  The recipient can keep the letter and read it any time they need a burst of love. Of course, you can send more than letters. You could send a taped message, a CD that alternates between your message and some favorite songs. When I was in one of my relationships, we sent letter with coded messages, just to keep everything exciting.

• Arrange to watch a TV program together.
  That way, you can experience the enjoyment simultaneously, even though you're miles apart.

• Don't fight over small problems.
  Because you can't talk as often as you like, everything becomes magnified. Therefore, make a decision that you won’t fight over small problems. All couples fight some of the time, but when you are in an Long Distance Relationship, save the fighting for the really important issues. I mean it's super easy to hang up, leaving everything disconnected.

• Accept uncertainty.
  When you do see each other again, things might seem initially tense. You may wonder, “Do I still love him?” or “Is this relationship still worthwhile?” Those thoughts are normal. They’ll pass. And if they don’t, you should consider breaking-up. Long Distance Relationships are hard to maintain. If you "thug" it out for a long period of time, knowing the attraction isn't there, you should end it.

• If there are problems, tell them.
  If you see the relationship breaking apart, don’t keep it from the other person. Tell them. Don’t leave that kind of message on an answering machine or throw it in an email. Get the other person on the phone. They deserve it.

• Plan a surprise trip.
  At times, phone and email won't cut it. The best thing to do is see your loved one in person. This becomes kinda tricky when you haven't established if you'll see other people or if you're exlusive. In the event you know the relationship is (supposed to be) monogamous, then surprise your mate.

Trew Life Effort: Average

Trew Time Required: Ongoing

Let's Get Busy:

• Establish some ground rules.
  Get everything in the open. The best thing to do is be true. Establish if you feel it's okay to mess around in someone else's kool-aid, or if the two of you are exlusive. Set a mandatory amount of time you'll go before seeing each other.

• Snail mail is an inexpensive, and romantic way to stay in touch.
  The recipient can keep the letter and read it any time they need a burst of love. Of course, you can send more than letters. You could send a taped message, a CD that alternates between your message and some favorite songs. When I was in one of my relationships, we sent letter with coded messages, just to keep everything exciting.

• Arrange to watch a TV program together.
  That way, you can experience the enjoyment simultaneously, even though you're miles apart.

• Don't fight over small problems.
  Because you can't talk as often as you like, everything becomes magnified. Therefore, make a decision that you won’t fight over small problems. All couples fight some of the time, but when you are in an Long Distance Relationship, save the fighting for the really important issues. I mean it's super easy to hang up, leaving everything disconnected.

• Accept uncertainty.
  When you do see each other again, things might seem initially tense. You may wonder, “Do I still love him?” or “Is this relationship still worthwhile?” Those thoughts are normal. They’ll pass. And if they don’t, you should consider breaking-up. Long Distance Relationships are hard to maintain. If you "thug" it out for a long period of time, knowing the attraction isn't there, you should end it.

• If there are problems, tell them.
  If you see the relationship breaking apart, don’t keep it from the other person. Tell them. Don’t leave that kind of message on an answering machine or throw it in an email. Get the other person on the phone. They deserve it.

• Plan a surprise trip.
  At times, phone and email won't cut it. The best thing to do is see your loved one in person. This becomes kinda tricky when you haven't established if you'll see other people or if you're exlusive. In the event you know the relationship is (supposed to be) monogamous, then surprise your mate.