Surviving The Wait

Anyone in an online relationship will tell you the same thing; the worst thing to handle is the distance and the waiting. The thoughts going through your head are enough to drive anyone crazy. A person in an online relationship can be worrying about anything and everything from looking okay to adjusting to a new city or country. So, how do you handle the little nagging thoughts in your head or the loneliness you feel at night?

1. A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
Surrounding yourself, and your partner's living space with pictures of each other is a great way to feel each other's presence. Don't just give each other the one or two token pictures. It isn't enough to give each other a good reality of who the other person is. Constantly take pictures of yourselves in different settings. Every time you meet, take pictures of you both together. You'll want to videotape yourself as well. It is a great way for your partner to see the live you whenever they want.

2. Leave Doubt Out, Plan Your Itinerary Together
A great way to bide the time while you're waiting to see each other is to plan the itinerary for your next visit. Research together online the local city guides and relevant tourist attraction web sites. Not only will this help take away the question of what to do, it will help add even more excitement and anticipation towards your visit.

3. Get In Touch With Their Life
Take the time to get in touch with whom your online love really is. Learning about their home and their history is a great way to accomplish this. Take turns revealing something about your past or somewhere you like to go. Use local city guides to find pictures of your favorite places to go and show them to your online love.

4. Start A Countdown Ritual
Each time you are about to meet in person, start some type of countdown ritual. It could be something as simple as telling each other how many days are left each day. Or, you could send a daily e-mail with how many days that are left. It is fun to look forward to something, and it helps assure you that it really is going to happen.

5. Surround Them With You
Sight is a wonderful sense, but it isn't fulfilling enough on its own. Assault your online love's senses with other reminders of you. When you meet you won't feel as foreign to each other if you've already smelled their cologne or perfume. They'll know your likes and dislikes if you share your favorite music, movies and food. Your partner will know your mannerisms already if you've exchanged videotapes or make use of a web cam. When people in real life are dating they have more than just a communication exchange to recall. Giving your partner a chance to recall other senses helps make you feel entirely more real to them.

Remember to make your time apart an opportunity to fulfill some personal goals and dreams that aren't always as easy to do once you're living with someone. Surround yourself with friends and family when you're feeling down. And, when all else fails, know that true love really is worth the wait.