Have you ever heard the phrase absence makes the heart grow fonder? There’s some truth to that saying. Some people, when they’re in a long-distance relationship with another person, can idealize their partner and put them on a pedestal.
They’re not exposed to the reality of who they really are, so any flaws or shortcomings they have may have gone unnoticed. And when they are with that person, they’re so happy that the flaws are ignored. Basically, they create a perfect version of their partner in their heads and they see only that version when they’re with that partner.
That’s one way in which distance can affect a relationship. Another way is how distance can also make a person forgetful of their partner. If you’re dating a foreign woman, then you may worry that your partner may forget about you.
So how do you assuage those worries? How do you make it so that you don’t fade from your partner’s memory and subsequently her heart?
Here are a few ways that you can keep that foreign woman interested in you.
One of the primary things that you can do to keep the spark alive in a long-distance romantic relationship alive is to communicate constantly. Most relationship experts will tell you that communication is the cornerstone of any good relationship.
A lot of people tend to think of communication as having honest, face-to-face talks. Most of the time, those people are right. But your case is special because she’s in a whole different country than you.
So you make use of substitutes such as video conferencing. There’s a variety of software that can simulate a face-to-face interaction so all you have to do is to pick one.
But video conferencing isn’t always an option. Maybe your partner doesn’t have access to a device that’s compatible with the requisite software. In such cases, you may want to get her a device that can support video conferencing software. Think of it as an investment in your relationship.
Take note that while real life can get in the way of a routine, you should see to it that if you are able to use video conferencing software, then you should both do your best to stick to a consistent schedule.
To that end, you guys can have long-distance date nights. You may not be in the same room, but you’re both eating the same thing and watching each other eat through a screen.
In fact, if you’re able to cook the meal together over videoconferencing, then you should absolutely do so. Doing an activity together will undoubtedly bring the two of you closer.
You can also use the same program to learn each other’s languages. Not only will the activity bring the two of you closer together, the results of said activity will also make it much easier for you to communicate with one another since you’ll both be able to hop over your respective language barriers.
Then again, maybe her internet connection isn’t good enough to support video conferencing so it won’t matter what device she’s using. In scenarios such as that, there’s always instant messaging.
You lose out on getting to see her face, but instant messaging uses far less bandwidth so it’ll be more usable over weak or unstable internet connections.
So instant communication can be absolutely indispensable when dating someone abroad. If instant communication isn’t tenable, there’s always emails.
Beyond communication, there’s also giving gifts. International shipping to her country might be somewhat difficult due to the distance and the logistics involved, but your partner is going to get a strong reminder of you if she gets a care package from you in the mail.
You can also have physical reminders of the other person in your home. Maybe it can be a framed photo of the two of you from when you were able to be physically together. You can also have something of yours be physically present with her.
The actual items themselves aren’t going to be all that important. What will be important is that the items remind you of each other and of your relationship.
In most long-distance relationships, people sometimes fly out to see their partners. However, real life and other factors can make it hard for you to fly out to see a foreign woman. But, if you can set a date as to when you might be able to see each other again, then you should.
Having a date to look forward to, no matter how nebulous it might be, can give your partner something to look forward to. She might even find herself waking up everyday and mentally counting the days until you two see each other again.
Now, when you are together, make it count. Until it’s not temporary, you’ve got a limited amount of time with her, so you need to make the most of it. Do fun things when you are together. But you should also try to do mundane things together.
Above all else, long-distance is supposed to be ephemeral. It’s not supposed to be a permanent arrangement.
Eventually, the two of you are supposed to be with each other permanently. It might take a while for you to achieve that, but if you can set a timeline as to when that can happen, then that’s even more of a thing for the two of you to look forward to.
There are a lot of factors that stack the odds against long-distance relationships. Aside from the distance itself, there’s also the time zone differences that come with that distance. 7 in the morning for you could very well be the middle of the night for your partner.
There’s also the logistics that may get in the way of you seeing her. Flights to her country might be hard to come by and getting the paperwork ready for her to come to you might prove difficult.
But despite everything that’s stacked against long-distance couples, plenty of them find ways to stay connected and stay together. Plenty of couples who found their happy endings have had to deal with a lot of what you and your partner have to deal with.
There’s no reason that your story can’t play out like theirs. There’s no reason why you and your partner can’t find your own happy ending.
