A long-distance relationship is kind of like buying futures on the commodities market: You’re deferring immediate profits. Whether or not this is the right romance option for you depends both on your temperament and what life-developmental phase you’re growing through.
To an angst-ridden high schooler, for example, who really should be concentrating on scoring over 900 on her cumulative SATs, physical distance may be a very good thing, as it eliminates the perpetual questions of what should I wear and how far should I go.
To a libidinous GenXer, however, distance may ruin intimacy: The hormones are percolating and the pickins’ are just too good close to home. (Though to a battle-scarred Baby Boomer who’s already ridden once on the marriage-go-round, long-distance romance may be the ideal solution to the dual demands of the Work and Dating games.)
Can a long-distance relationship last forever? Probably not.
Can a long-distance relationship last long enough for you to decide what you’re really looking for? Yes, it can.