For college students, long-distance relationships tend to happen most during the summer, as Ohio University students return home for a span of a little over three months. Although this change in the season comes with its ups and downs, it seems that love can still thrive even in the dog days of summer for couples near and far.
For one couple, they have made the four-hour distance between the Dayton-Cincinnati and Cleveland areas work. After meeting at OU, Maggie Hicks, a sophomore studying forensic chemistry, said in an email that she and her boyfriend, Jackson Morris, have been dating for six months.
Seeing the benefits of being away from one another, Hicks says that the major change in their relationship has been fostering communication over phone calls and texts on a daily basis, instead of seeing each other in person every day. The couple enjoys calling one another during long car rides, FaceTiming and playing games on iMessage.
Morris, a sophomore studying biology, says the distance only makes him appreciate his girlfriend more, especially as the two work together as a team to make their relationship last.
“Working as a team, scheduling times to meet and just missing her so much, I feel has made our relationship stronger,” Morris wrote in an email.
Making time for each every day has become crucial to keeping their relationship intact throughout the summer, and Hicks and Morris have become experts at keeping in touch.
“We make time for each other now instead of seeing each other every day,” Hicks wrote in an email. “To me, it is more special when we take time to talk and call each other because we want to, not just out of convenience like how it was when we were together at college.”
While she does experience loneliness without her boyfriend around, Hicks appreciates that their relationship is manageable and not a one-sided effort. She’s also realized that their collective efforts prove how strong their relationship is.
“While it can be taxing and lonely at times, knowing that you both miss and want to see each other helps you know that you're with the right person,” Hicks wrote in an email.
Luckily, Hicks and her boyfriend have been able to see each other in person on a monthly basis, planning visits when they both are available throughout the summer.
“We have made trips to visit when we can, probably about once a month for the most part,” Hicks said in an email. “We also have made time for calls at night and try our best to keep in touch through Snapchat and texting throughout the day.”
Morris says that the two also rotate seeing each other each month, making it fair for both of them when it comes to traveling over the summer.
With only about a month until school starts up again, Morris and Hicks have not let distance divide them, beating the stigma around long-distance relationships.
“Besides how often we see each other, distance has not changed the way I feel at all because all I can think about is how much I miss her,” Morris wrote in an email.
After hearing Hicks and Morris’ story, one can only interpret this example as proof that long-distance relationships can work, especially if one puts in the time and effort.
