Do long distance relationships work?

Yes they do, but only for so long. We are half a world away, and it has worked for a year. He is in Guam, and I am in Chicago, IL. When it's Monday by me, it's Tuesday by him. When it's 6 a.m. by me, its 10 p.m. by him. So, you can't get more long distance than this. Yes, we email a lot and talk by phone. Based on our schedules, the best time to talk is early in the morning or late at night. I am not at my best at 6 a.m. or 10 p.m., but we have survived.

He and I were classmates in grade school. We kept in touch through mutual friends through our college years. After graduation from college, he got married. We lost touch. Then about 18 months ago, a mutual friend got us in touch again. We have been communicating since then via email and phone. He wants a divorce and there are kids involved, so there are many issues to contend with. We have not seen each other in 30 years.

Email communication is fine to a point, but for serious issues, you need a face to face conversation. When you deal with email, there is too much danger that a comment or question will get misconstrued. Phone conversations are good, but in our situation, the time differential makes phone contact unsuitable at times...

Long distance relationships only work for so long. At one point, one person has to move to where the other is. It is usually the person with the least amount to lose.

My friend is coming to visit me at my insistence at the end of October. This is the only way I will get to know him better. I want to get to know his good points and bad points as much as possible. Though I have an idea of what they are, a face to face meeting will confirm them to some extent. I am ready to ask the hard questions which need to be asked in order to continue the relationship.

So, tune in within the next two weeks for the second installment in this hub.