We had met through a mutual friend, oh so long ago. It hardly took a week before we stayed up late each night, talking to each other about everything and nothing at the same time. I had never met anyone so interesting, so polite, so respectful. Equally, I'm sure he had never met such a stunning and intelligent beauty such as myself (yeah right). Where had he been all of my life, I wondered night after night, sighing dreamily as our conversations became deeper and our personal lives became entwined.

I would have jumped into his arms and asked him to never leave the moment I saw him. I would have, really, except there was one problem. There were approximately 650 miles between me and him.

Eventually, after over a year of talking into the unholy hours of the night on any medium we could get, he blurted out the words I had been longing to hear.

"If we lived closer, would you go out with me?" he asked, bravely taking the chance.

And oh so smoothly, my ridiculous mouth answered, "M-m-maybe!"

Hence began our serious relationship across states, despite the silly beginnings. It took a bit of a jump start in the beginning, but soon we were making the distance with ease. Still, there were more than a few things that we learned that could be shared about long distance relationships. These are five secrets about making them last and still being happy.

Really, it is. You are not always going to be totally confident that your man or woman isn't looking at someone else while you're away. So go ahead and feel the way you feel. The thing is, though, you aren't going to feel any better until you talk to your partner. Communication is the key to any relationship, but moreso for when it is the only means you have to be with your sweetheart.

So tell them that you're afraid that they might be swept off their feet by someone else. If they're understanding and patient, then that's a great sign for success. If they're instantly defensive and angry, you might have to work on your communication skills. If they hang up on you and refuse to answer your calls, then they weren't worth the time and energy you were about to put into staying with them anyway.

A good long-dis partner will always be understanding. It isn't easy being so far from the one you love. You can't always be there to know what's going on. You both are going to be insecure from time to time. It really is completely natural.

With your partner, of course, no one else. Still, everyone says the biggest downfall of long distance couples is there's no sex. Whoopdie-friggin-doo. That's not a problem at all. Or, at least it shouldn't be. If you depend on sex to make or break a relationship, you really need to get your priorities in order.

Believe it or not, sex is not important. If you found someone who you're putting your heart on the line for, you'll find ways around your horribly demanding hormones. But for those of you who need that satisfaction, a big hint: God blessed you with two hands. You only really need one to scratch that itch. Still, I'm sure you're protesting that it's much more satisfying with both parties involved. If your partner is a little bolder than others, there's webcam chats and phone sex to fulfill your kinkier needs. If not, try inching them out of their shell little by little, flirting here and there. Remember to make sure never to do anything your partner isn't comfortable with, and always ask them if they are beforehand.

Be warned: when you do see each other, hormones spike. Be prepared to either jump in a cold shower or be all over each other within to first day you see each other. If you're afraid that getting right to the 'main event' right away may hurt or hinder the relationship, tell your partner that, and maybe settle on an 'opening act' for a while, until you can be closer together for a longer time.

Okay, admittedly, woman don't expect men to be romantic all the time. I doubt anyone is going to expect a package when their loved one dies full of instructions on how to move on. Nor is anyone expecting to have a charming rendezvous in the early spring morning, where you confess all of your secret feelings for each other. Still, romance is a big deal.

You don't need to be there to surprise your sweetie with a romantic gesture. You can buy flowers and present online and have them shipped with a special note just for her. Find out their favorite candy and have it sent when they're feeling down. A special text message for to brighten up their day after work.

The tried and true way of making you the only thing on your partner's mind is writing an old fashioned love letter. Make it long, make it heartfelt. You don't have to be a novelist to pen down your feelings. The fact that you're taking your time to tell them all of these things is a great way to put a smile on their face all day.

Yes, back in the day when candles reigned supreme and the lightbulb's conception would probably have been considered witchcraft, I'm sure it was not uncommon to communicate with you betrothed by letter and meet for the first time at the altar. I'm also sure those marriages were for money and status and there was rarely any love involved. Now, I'm not saying that there's any legitimate correlation between the two facts, but it's better to be safe than sorry, isn't it?

Even if it's just once a month, for a weekend, arrange a visit. Whether it's your place or theirs, just stay over and spend time with each other. You don't necessarily have to go out if you don't want to, just staying in and enjoying each others company company should be enough. But do what you'd like. If you're staying for longer, try to keep in mind that this may or may not be like to live together. If you can't stand each other's idiosyncrasies, that may be a bad sign. But if you don't mind having dinner at four in the morning and if they don't mind eating breakfast three hours later, then you might want to look into keeping your catch.

Still, be sure to keep priorities straight. Yes, you wanna see your darling. But if you've got finals coming up in your final year of college, then you might want to consider postponing your visit for a few days, studying like crazy, and celebrating with your sweetheart after everything has settled down. No matter how bad the rendezvous seems like the end of the world, there will always be more. A good partner will always understand.

You may be ridiculed or made fun of. Names may be called. People may try and dissuade you. If you feel that your partner is worth it, never apologize and never feel bad about your relationship. If they are an upstanding person and treat you better than anyone you've ever met, then you have nothing to feel ashamed about.

Personally, the one noticeable insult that was thrown my way was when my beau was talking with his ex (oh that was a fun one in itself, but it gets better from there). She had learned about me and him from one of his friends and was having a field day with it. In the end, the only memorable quote from their conversation goes something along the lines of, "It's a shame you're dating your modem."

Be prepared for a fair amount of ridicule. It's a pain, but it's worth it if you find that special someone. Any amount of ridicule should bounce back off of you if you find someone worth it, but don't be surprised if people you least expect to say anything tell you how stupid it may be to be in your relationship. Ultimately it's your choice, and no one can tell you otherwise.