My boyfriend lives overseas currently, and it has brought me to the realization that long-distance relationships are not nearly as bad as they sounds. In fact, I rather enjoy it.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I miss him and it is hard to not be on the same continent at times. For instance, I am constantly third-wheeling with other couples even though I am not single and Valentine’s Day was a bust, even with the understanding that it is an inane holiday.

But really those are small annoyances in the grand scheme, so I will move on to why long-distance is the best distance.

Because of the time change (six hours) between him and me, he goes to bed at 6 p.m. my time. While it is a large time commitment during our waking hours that overlap, I still get evenings to myself to get homework done, spend time with friends and Netflix binge without feeling like I should be spending more time with him.

We are not constantly together or texting because of the differences in our time zones and lifestyles, so when we do make time to chat, we have plenty to talk about. It is refreshing to have time completely by myself but also time together to catch up on our days.

Most importantly, it is great because we choose to make time for each other. With long distance, no “convenience factor” exists, so I know that every time we FaceTime, we have chosen to sacrifice time to do other things to spend that time together.

While long distance takes patience and a ton of trust, it really is not that hard to do. So long as a couple makes time for each other and values their partner’s independence, I would go as far as saying it is almost easier than the constant companionship that goes along with being nearby. Long-distance is all about trust and time management (and obviously love), but for an independent personality, it really gives you the best of both worlds.