Long Distance Relationship Vs Short Distance Relationship

By Addreena Ishak

It is human nature to love and be loved from the very second we were born to the last
second we exhale our last breath. Hence, it is inevitable that we, humans embark on relationships
at some point during our lives whether it is a long distance or a short distance relationship, we give
our best to make it work. There are a few differences between long distance and short distance
relationship in terms of expenditure, intimacy and communication.

Money can’t buy love, but it will definitely cost you to keep it. Couples in long distance
relationships tend to spend more on themselves rather than their partner to achieve their ultimate
goal of not letting distance get in the way. Both parties focus on their own self-growth from afar
to avoid distance from wreaking havoc on their finances before they plan a financial future
together. To illustrate, long distance couples tend to spend more on their own expenditure such as
phone bills, internet data charges and flight tickets to combat the distance and connect with their
significant others. In contrast, your financial priorities are more likely to become the relationship’s
financial priorities when you are in a short distance relationship. Your spending habits affect each
other as the maintenance of the relationship depends on how frequent you see each other. For
instance, couples in short distance relationships seek pleasure in spending money such as going
out on dates which requires expenses on food and entertainment as they do not have to carry the
weight of distance. In brief, both relationships become a more vaguely joint effort in different ways
as the relationship evolves.

Next, when forming deep valuable relationships, intimacy is the key to develop trust and
it comes in various forms. Without the presence of physical touch, couples in long distance
relationships seek comfort in talking and listening. They pay more attention to each other’s tone
of voice and facial expression to develop understanding and emotional bond. For instance, they
are more inclined to enhance intimacy through phone calls and video chatting. On the contrary,
short distanced couples express their emotions through physical contact and small gestures.
Positive energy is constantly being injected as there is no barrier when it comes to providing
emotional support and reassurance for each other when needed. Effort comes in various forms for
these lovebirds as they get to indulge in many physical activities together and gradually temper
expectations for a routine that brings joy to both of them. It is undeniable that building a
relationship in general takes effort and diligence.

Relationships are always prone to miscommunication because everything we do is open to

multiple interpretations. When two people text, a lot can get lost in translation and couples in long
distance relationships experience that on a daily basis. It is common for them to make irrelevant
assumptions when they do not get the respond they expected, and this leads to quarrels and upright
fights. To overcome the problem, couples reminisce how intimate they would be in real life and
how they love the sound of each other’s voices. For the short-distanced lovebirds,
miscommunication still occurs when one of them assume their behavior is transparent when the
reality is far different. Despite not having to carry the weight of distance, their jealousy and
deception still get the best of them and often reacted irrationally. Since they spend most of their
time together, problems like these are normally coped by confrontation and giving each other
personal space. In brief, it’s important for couples to avoid miscommunication to hurdle obstacles
in the future.

In conclusion, each couple has their own dynamics and it takes a person who is just as
dedicated as you are to build a happy relationship. The three aspects of differences between long
distance and short distance relationship must be taken seriously before you indulge in one.

(645 words)