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Long-Distance Relationships During Study Abroad: Making It Work

Started by RyanToronto · 12 mars 2026 · 10 replies · 📖 Read as Guide
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RyanToronto
Maintained a relationship through a year-long exchange in Berlin
Joined: May 2020 Posts: 198
12 mars 2026 #1
My girlfriend and I survived a year apart while I was in Berlin and she was in Toronto. It was the hardest thing either of us has done. Here is the honest version -- what worked, what nearly broke us, and why I think the experience ultimately made us stronger. Not a fairy tale, just a practical guide.

Pour aller plus loin, découvrez destinations dog-friendly en France.

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WanderlustEmma
Broke up during study abroad, no regrets
Joined: Feb 2020Posts: 157
March 15, 2026#2
The signs section is painfully accurate. Video calls became obligations for me by month two and I spent three more months pretending before finally ending it. Wish I had read something like this before I left.
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SarahStudiesAbroad
Successfully maintained an LDR through two semesters
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 169
March 17, 2026#3
The pre-departure conversation checklist saved us. We covered every single point on that list before I left for Prague and it prevented at least five arguments that I watched other couples have.
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CamilleDuval
French student, partner stayed in Lyon
Joined: Jan 2019Posts: 128
March 18, 2026#4
The reunion challenge section is under-discussed everywhere. We were fine during the distance but nearly broke up two months after I came back. The identity shift is real and both partners need to acknowledge it.
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BackpackerJake
Chose to break up before study abroad
Joined: Jul 2019Posts: 22
March 19, 2026#5
My girlfriend and I decided to break up before I left for my gap year and it was the right call. We were honest that neither of us wanted the restrictions. No regrets. Not every relationship needs to be forced through the distance test.
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JessicaBoston
Graduate student who researches student mental health
Joined: Feb 2020Posts: 73
March 20, 2026#6
The jealousy section handles a sensitive topic with exactly the right balance. Acknowledging jealousy as a normal emotion while drawing a clear line between feeling it and acting on it in controlling ways is important.
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MikeFromMichigan
Currently in an LDR during exchange in Seoul
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 33
March 21, 2026#7
The 14-hour time zone difference between Seoul and Michigan is brutal. We found exactly one 30-minute window that works daily and we protect it like it is a final exam. The shared Google Calendar suggestion is practical and works.
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OliviaOxford
UK student, partner was in Australia
Joined: Jun 2024Posts: 161
March 22, 2026#8
The quality over quantity communication point changed everything for me when I learned it. We went from exhausting daily hour-long calls to focused 30-minute calls three times a week and both of us were happier.
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NatalieVancouver
In an LDR that survived study abroad in Amsterdam
Joined: Apr 2022Posts: 111
March 22, 2026#9
The visit section advice about introducing your partner to your abroad life is brilliant. When my boyfriend visited Amsterdam, I showed him my exact daily routine. He finally understood my new world and the disconnect between us shrank immediately.
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AidanDublin
Irish student who ended an LDR amicably
Joined: Oct 2022Posts: 201
March 23, 2026#10
We broke up amicably after month four of my exchange. It was not dramatic. We just realized we were both growing in different directions and the distance made it visible. The honest conversation framework in this article is exactly how it should go.
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RyanToronto
Author, responding to comments
Joined: May 2023Posts: 160
March 23, 2026#11
Reading all your stories is powerful. Every relationship handles this differently and there is no single right answer. The couples who talk openly and the ones who end things honestly both deserve respect. The only wrong approach is pretending.
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