Guest Post - Jess is More: "Going the Distance"

While I am cruising away with the King on our honeymoon, I have some fantastic, amazing and down right hilarious gals guest posting for me (so sweet huh?!). Please show them some love as they are sharing their love stories and advice in honor of my wedding!

--------------------------------------

Hi There! I am Jess and I blog over at Jess Is More. It’s my little corner of the world where I get to share my mission to get the most out of life {after my morning coffee} 

   The beautiful and radiant Kaylee is off cruising the high seas in the Bahamas, and she has graciously asked me to share a little bit about my experience with l.o.v.e. My wonderful fiancé and I met online in April 2005. I was very young and just about to start college. He was the older man {by 4 years}. I was a Florida girl, and he was from Minnesota – I do admit I had to look it up on the map after we met. 

Holy cow, we were so young {and thin} back in 2005! 

We dated long distance for two and a half years – and we have lived together for 4. He is my best friend. If anyone has ever been in a long distance relationship, you know it is gut-wrenching. I’m here to tell you that it works – but it isn’t easy. Everything they say is true. You will cry. You will lose sleep. You will feel like quitting… but isn’t that the case with any love story? Our story is just getting started. We are getting married at a Florida resort on September 29, 2012. I am so incredibly excited to marry the love of my life!

I thought I’d pass along some tips that helped us make it. We have found that these are just as important when you live in the same city – and even the same house, because the foundation of a healthy relationship is the same either way, regardless of geography:

(1) Talk to each other. Like, really talk. When you are face-to-face, it’s easy to go through the motions of a real conversation. You can zone out {everyone has done it}. When your only form of conversation is by telephone {a lost art-form}, you are forced to engage in actual conversation. Sit down and talk at the end of each day. A text/email here and there during the day is always a good idea, too.

(2) Go on dates. You’re probably thinking ‘Um, yeah Jess, how do you go on a date from a different state?!’ Well, we did. We both rented the same movie, or looked up something that was on TV, and we watched it together. We would even try to order the same kind of food. If you live close – make time to go on dates. Even if you’re just going to your dining room table with takeout – make an effort. Do not eat in front of the TV!

(3) Treasure the time you have together. This is a big one that we learned by dating long distance. Each visit was so precious; we didn’t waste it by fretting the small stuff. Don’t stay mad for the sake of being mad. It is so easy to take this for granted when you live with someone. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. But we must treasure the ones we love today. Life is short.

(4) Send snail mail OR leave notes/little presents. We’d always exchange cards through the mail when we dated long distance. It was so exciting to check the mail in anticipation each day. These days, we’ll leave little notes in our lunchboxes or buy the other’s favorite candy every so often. It’s the little things.

(5) Don’t lose that lovin’ feelin’. I don’t have to go into detail, right? There is no rule of what is healthy or not for couples. It’s all about what works for you. But it is important.

Every relationship is different, and these won’t work for everyone. We’ve had 7 years of ups and downs, and there will surely be more. Love is hard work. But we try to remember these 5 things and do them often. 

If you made it this far, thanks for staying! You are seriously awesome. I promise {Mrs.} Kaylee will be back soon sharing her amazing wedding and honeymoon stories with us!