As teenagers, we can’t help but fall in love with eachother left and right as if our lives depended on it; it’s a part of our nature. We all want to find another half, and once that half is found, there are always obstacles that each relationship must face: respecting the rules of parents, dating someone outside of your “group”, or a difference in age.
One particular obstacle that is much too feared is the “long distance” issue, something scary-sounding, but realistically manageable.
To be in a long distance relationship, you have to know what you are doing. This is difficult, seeing as in our society there is a near 50% divorce rate, TV shows lauding teen pregnancy, and a wave of online relationships. In a world like this, being physically separated from a boyfriend or girlfriend could be a difficult challenge to overcome, but it can certainly be done.
2011 Perry Alumnas Silvia Plascencia and Kevin Mollica are of testimony to this claim, seeing as they have remained in a relationship after six years and hundreds of miles.
“We have been together since Freshman year, after meeting in an 8th grade science class at Payne. We became friends shortly after sitting together on the bus, sharing cds…Fall Out Boy was the first one.” After this, they entered a relationship that was strong enough to confront vast distances as she moved to Portland and her boyfriend stayed in Arizona, later moving on to New York.
In Silvia’s words, the key to the success of such a relationship is, “It requires a sincere, supportive, and truly happy relationship-not just the cuddly and cutsie fluff.”
Now that Silvia is attending University of Portland and Kevin is at Cornell University, the two have not given up and continue to grow as a pair.
Being separated from a lover for whatever reason, unless it is a restraining order, should not necessarily have to result in an end to the relationship. This should be approached with
patience, understanding, communication, trust, and commitment. Without even one of these components, it may not work out.
Ultimately, the strength and lasting of a long distance relationship will lie in the hands of the lovers, not the miles that set them apart.
