Long-distance relationships are not easy. Nor are they that fun, especially when it’s time to say goodbye again. However, many couples push through however many weeks, months, or even years of being far from each other it takes to eventually “close the gap” and be together.
On the list below you will find pictures of some of such couples who have finally reached the point of staying together for good. You will also find some couples who are still divided by distance, as well as some related memes, all of which were shared on the ‘Long Distance’ subreddit, dedicated to – you guessed it – long-distance relationships. Providing support to more than 2.3 million members, the community is a safe place, so if you, too, are in a relationship with someone miles away, you might want to join it or at least hopefully find comfort in the fact that you’re not alone.
On the list below you will find not only pictures depicting what long-distance relationships can entail, but our interview with a relationship researcher and a marriage and family therapist, Dr. Marisa T. Cohen, as well, who was kind enough to answer a few of Bored Panda’s questions.
#1 Work At A Bakery And Got This Cute Uber Order 😌
Image credits: btrusty
#2 Long Distance Relationships Be Like
Image credits: worstgurl
#3 Found This And Thought It Was Relatable— The Things We Do For Our Loves
Image credits: elishhh3
Luckily for people in a long-distance relationship, nowadays we have the almighty internet, which makes connecting different ends of the world a matter of just a few clicks. Because of the internet, we also have all sorts of online communities, including the ‘Long Distance’ one on Reddit.
In their own words, “r/LongDistance is a subreddit for and about long-distance relationships. For anyone considering (but not seeking), currently in, or who used to be, this is the community for you! We are here for support, advice, and community who can relate to your experiences.”
Knowing there are other people walking in the same shoes as you can be surprisingly comforting, so it’s safe to assume that the ‘Long Distance’ community brings at least some comfort to its 2.3 million members, too.
#4 [m/27,m/30] After 4 Years Of Hiding, In 2 Weeks I’m Escaping My Abusive Mom To Start My Life With Prince Charming. (I’m The One In White)
Image credits: NotASAPbutRocky
#5 My Partner Lives In Australia, And I Live In The Us. I Couldn’t Find A Good Dual Face Clock, So I Made This For Him For Christmas
Image credits: reddit.com
Ask anyone who’s ever been in a long-distance relationship (LDR), and they’ll tell you exactly how much fun they had having to say goodbye to their favorite person time and again, or having to endure periods of lack of contact, due to different time zones and busy schedules.
“Long-distance relationships can get tricky when there are barriers to staying in contact, such as a significant time difference or period of time in which the person can’t be reached via phone or email,” said Dr. Marisa T. Cohen, a relationship researcher and a marriage and family therapist.
“Though even in these scenarios you can write letters or get creative during the lag in contact,” she added.
#6 We Got Married 💒
Image credits: LeftWingLesbian
#7 Florida - Japan. We Met This Summer In Boston While I (20m) Had An Internship And She (20f) Studied Abroad. After 4 Months Of Waiting, I Flew To Tokyo To Celebrate Christmas And The New Year With Her. It Was Absolutely Worth It :)
Image credits: throwawaystuffandwow
#8 We Closed The Distance And Got Married :3
Image credits: wallxy
“In these situations, a person may feel as if they are losing their connection to their partner or may experience loneliness,” Dr. Cohen continued. “The logistics of a LDR can also be challenging in that you have to plan visits, which can be time-consuming and expensive. It also requires schedules to align with one another. Overall, people need to put time and effort into prioritizing the relationship and saving space for their partner—in an LDR, or any relationship, for that matter—or it won’t work out.”
#9 After Almost 8 Years Of Long Distance I (M26) Asked My Now Fiancé (F24) To Marry Me. I Took This Picture Very Quickly A Second Before She Turned Around. Our Days Apart Will Be Over Soon!
Image credits: illdoitlatermum
#10 I Don't Live With My Partner Yet, But I Painted Him And It Hangs Above My Bed So I Can See Him Every Day
Image credits: friendlynoodless
#11 Distance Closed. Just Signed The Papers For Our New Home. Life Is Good. [28m/29m]
Image credits: loke09
There can be hundreds of ways for a long-distance relationship to form. Some people meet their significant other during an exchange program that inevitably comes to an end. Some couples are separated by choosing different colleges after surviving high school together. Some people might meet someone while on vacation and unexpectedly fall head over heels in a matter of a few days. There are also internet romances that start with just a few clicks.
But no matter the way they start, LDRs often require patience, as well as good communication and planning skills, in order to continue thriving.
#12 Closed Our 600mi Gap Today After 7months!!! USA (Mo To Tx) 🇺🇲
Image credits: j10lam
#13 My Girlfriend’s Dog Stole Her Sandwich, So I Ordered Her Another One From 200 Miles Away. Technology Is Amazing
Image credits: gr26ko
#14 Well
Image credits: sumthinsumthin123
“To have a successful long-distance relationship, clear communication and advanced planning are very important,” Dr. Cohen pointed out, adding that while navigating a long-distance relationship can present unique challenges, there are some benefits, too.
“These include personal growth as a result of autonomy over one’s schedule and needs, the deep emotional connection gained as a result of creative communication, and the ability to connect with two communities and enhance your social networks,” the expert said.
#15 We've Closed The Gap!!
Image credits: -throw-away-101
#16 I Met My Girlfriend On Reddit 5 Months Ago. Yesterday, We Met In Person For The First Time!
Image credits: ohtemper
#17 The Love Of My(50’s) Life Passed Away This Morning. He(60’s) Was Planning To Close The Distance This Fall, So Here I Am, Heartbroken But I’m Glad He Is No Longer In Pain. I Am Leaving This Sub Cause I’m Hurting So Much Right Now. Please, Love Your Partner So Hard, So Deep, So Much, Forever
Image credits: cpbaby1968
Talking about the positive sides of a long-distance relationship, Dr. Cohen noted that some research has shown that those in LDRs report higher levels of relationship quality and dedication to their relationships than those in close proximity.
“People in LDRs can maintain a sense of independence. This enables them to engage more with their friends, community, and take on extra responsibilities or roles at work,” she told Bored Panda.
“They also tend to get better at communicating with one another, as that is their main way of interacting with one another. Finally, people in LDRs benefit from having two home bases (if they travel to see one another). They may begin to plant roots in both locations and benefit from exposure to locations they may not have traveled to individually.”
#18 Two Gay Girls Engaged At Last
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#19 Came Across This Relatable Comic
Image credits: eurolynn
#20 My GF’s Relatable Text
Image credits: henrytrill
Dr. Cohen shared that those who find themselves miles away from their favorite person shouldn’t concern themselves too much with the belief that long-distance relationships don’t lead to success or are too challenging to navigate. “They can be just as—or even more—rewarding than relationships in which partners are in close proximity to one another,” she said.
They can also lead to a happily ever after, as some of the pictures on this list show.
#21 After 7.5 Hours Of Flying, Two Layovers, A Two Hour Drive And A Tall Starbucks Coffee Later, We’ve Finally Met! This Canadian Cold Hits Differently, People Are Wicked Friendly Up Here. Can’t Believe This Is Happening To Me, He’s My Whole Heart. I Love This Man, I Couldn’t Be Any Happier💜
Image credits: giraffesinparis91
#22 Thought We Could All Relate To This One
Image credits: funky_beaver
#23 Closing The Distance In Less Than 15 Days 💕
Image credits: KindaArt3mis
#24 After Meeting In Korea, Early November, We Started An Ldr. 4 Months Later, She (F29) Came To Visit Me (M25) In The Us, Right Before The Virus Paused Everything. I'm A Blessed Boi
Image credits: Pseudophilo
#25 Celebrating 2 Years Of Ldr In Turkey!
Image credits: svit420
#26 Sorry For The Late Update. I [25, USA] Made It Back To The States After Visiting My Girlfriend [22, Jpn]. It Was An Amazing 3 Weeks Over There!
Image credits: xWarMongerx
#27 20 Hours Of Flying To See Her Was More Than Worth It (USA-China)
Image credits: throwaway1998383
#28 [f24&f22] 681 Days, Lots Of Flights From NY To Ldn, Airport Greetings And Tears Later...we've Finally Closed The Distance!
Image credits: oddlyaware
#29 We Met On Nye 2018 In Dubai (Where I Was Living At The Time), He Lives In Us I Live In Milan Now, We Managed To Live Together For Around 6 Months, We Finally Got Married On The 10th. Everyone Here Can Understand How Hard It Is Especially With The Pandemic Situation, But We Made It!
Image credits: Savsuper
#30 Wholesome And Relatable
Image credits: lifeofmolls
#31 Ain’t That The Truth 😂
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#32 ❤️
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#33 After 7+ Years Of A Long Distance Relationship (~1,700 Miles Apart), We Finally Closed The Distance And Got Married!
Image credits: AiTravelsWithLove
#34 Chicago-Austin. We Got Dressed Up And Had “Date Night” This Past Weekend. We Ordered Each Other Food Through Doordash Without Telling What Was Ordered, Then Drank Too Much
Image credits: GeneralFries
#35 My Boyfriend Made This Orchid Pendant For Our Anniversary—he’s So Creative And Talented!
Image credits: nihilistic_pussycat
#36 I Miss You 😔❤️
Image credits: AmazingLittleSausage
#37 I Didn’t Know What To Give Her For Her 19th Birthday So I Had This Commissioned. Nevermets So It Was Good To See Us Both In One Picture 🥰
Image credits: Balitkaa
#38 Talk About Long Distance
Image credits: FrozenGunner1
#39 Thought This Belong Here ❤️
Image credits: Caramel928
#40 Now I Know We Can All Relate To This
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#41 This Came Up In A Group Chat Discussion About Ldrs
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#42 She (17) Worked And Saved For 8 Months To Come Meet Me (16) With Her Mom In South Florida From Texas. I Couldn’t Be Happier. You Can Tell By The Stupid Smile On My Face
Image credits: lonelyman_juaq
#43 Oof Ouch Owie My Wallet
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#44 None Of Us Are In A Relationship, But We Have Been Long Distance Best Friends As Kids Since 2011! I Was From Idaho, They Are From Texas. They Drove 14 Hours To See Me In My New Home In Florida For The Weekend, And Had The Best Time Of Our Lives!
Image credits: everybodysdead
#45 16 Days Until I (24, USA) Fly To See My Girlfriend (21, Jpn) In Tokyo!!! It's Been Almost 6 Months Since She Left
Image credits: xWarMongerx
#46 Every Night
Image credits: CautionRamen420
#47 Dating An American Be Like
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#48 I Love Falling Asleep On The Phone With You Every Night. I Know I Don’t Say It But Thank You For Having Such A Fricked Up Sleep Schedule
Image credits: xcandicemariex
#49 People Will Believe What They Want About Long Distance, But Man Is It Worth The Wait. This Picture Was Taken 1.5 Years Ago And We Just Found Out We're Expecting!
Image credits: QuarterQuellCrisis
#50 When You Wake Up To A Message From Your So That Was Sent Right After You Fell Asleep :[
Image credits: GirlsUsedToDissMe
#51 My Long-Distance Girlfriend (F19 From South Korea) And I (M20 From USA) Met For The First Time Over Christmas And New Years After Dating For Almost A Year. We Initially Met On A Language Exchange App In 2018, And Finally Getting To Meet Her And See South Korea Was The Best Time Of My Life❤️여친 사랑해!
Image credits: sethbach_
#52 For The First Time, We Both Accidentally Fell Asleep While Facetiming.... When I Woke Up, I Opened My Eyes And He Was Still There, Sleepily Saying “Baby?” It Was Almost As Good As The Real Thing
Image credits: worstgurl
#53 After 7 Months And A Planned Trip That Didn't Pan Out, Finally Together For Almost A Month
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#54 We Met During A Pandemic, And I Got Him Flowers 🌸
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#55 [m24/F21] 6 Months And Counting. She's From Hong Kong And I'm From The USA. We Can Only See Each Other During Holiday Breaks Due To School, But Hoping We Can Live Together In A Few Years 😭😭. Long Distance Is A Drag, But She's My Literally My Favorite Person Ever And I Wouldn't Trade For Anything
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#56 And That’s On Sleep Deprivation
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#57 A Couple Photos From Our Meetup!! (Both 18m)
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#58 I Proposed And She Said Yes!!! What Started 400 Miles Apart Will Become A Life We Share Side By Side. Here's The Pic From Our Shared Journal
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#59 Mehehehe Im Excited For When We Meet Tho 🥺✨
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#60 She [us] Got Accepted Into Grad School In My Country [uk] She’s Moving Here Permanently!!! Can’t Wait To Ask Her
Image credits: Hansiwik
#61 We Just Got Married After Surviving The Distance For Over 5 Years From California To London
Image credits: SURVIVING_DISTANCE
#62 Haven’t Lived Together Since Our College Graduation. 4.5 Years Later, We Are Closing The Gap!
Image credits: cantelopeantelope
#63 After 538 Days Of Being Nevermets, We Finally Met. I Love You So Much, You’re The Best❤️🥺
Image credits: lovelyworld40
#64 We Did It, Reddit. As Of Last Night, And A Little Bit Of Honeymooning, We Tied The Knot Officially Dec 20 2019. She Is Everything I Thought I Could Ask For In A Partner And More. She Completes Me
Image credits: VtheMan93
#65 I Found The Solution To Watching Movies Together Long Distance! Zoom.us Lets You Video Call Somebody And Then You Can Share Your Screen! The Connection Is Perfect And Date Night Is Back
Image credits: worstgurl
#66 After A Cancelled Wedding And Many Long Heartbreaking Months Apart, We Are Finally Together Again :)
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#67 My Partner And I Just Closed The Gap After 15 Months 🥰
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#68 Me To My BF
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#69 We Finally Met
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#70 You All Know This Feeling :)
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#71 I’ve Been Dreaming About This Post For Over A Year: Today We (38/27m) Celebrate The Gap Being Officially Closed. I’m Dreaming. It Was Honestly The Hardest Year Of Our Lives. But Man...is It Worth It?? 10000% Thanks To You All! Here’s To All You Dreamers! ❤️❤️
Image credits: ShuaiHonu
#72 Just A Reminder That It Will Come... We Did 3,000 Miles Of Distance For 3 Years, And Now Have Been Together For 5 Years, Bought A House, And Have 2 Beautiful Dogs ❤ I Know Its Hard Right Now, But It Will Be So Worth It, I Promise
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#73 I Got Her A Ring 🤍
Image credits: ShinigamiAppless
#74 My Boyfriend (M22) And I (F22) Celebrating His Birthday Last Month In Dc. Can’t Wait To Close The Distance With Him One Day 🥰
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#75 This Hits Hard
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#76 Last Year, My Ld Boyfriend Took A 7 Hour Flight From The UK Out To The Middle East To Be My Date To My Senior Prom ❤️ We Have Now Closed The Distance Since I Moved To The UK For University, But This Will Forever Be My Favorite Memory Of Us
Image credits: hautehoney
#77 The Struggle
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#78 From Long Distance To Now! 🇬🇧🇺🇸
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#79 After 6 Months Apart In The Eu And Us, Met In Egypt - One Of The Very Few Countries Accepting Both Europeans And Americans
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#80 Met Online 6 Months Ago, Celebrating 3 Months On The 29th. I’m Driving Three Hours To Be With Her For Thanksgiving And To Meet The Family
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#81 From Our First Day Meeting To Our Wedding Day! We Got Married In The Very Spot We First Met! I Can't Believe How Lucky I Am!
Image credits: Bye-Bye-My-Ai
#82 Thought This Belonged Here
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#83 We’re Engaged!!! (24m🇨🇦 And 23f🇺🇸)
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#84 Closing The Gap! ...... Someday Soon. Currently Crying In The Airport As I Head Back To Chicago From London To Get Our Visa Process Started. But The Goodbye At The Airport Is One Of The Most Heart Wrenching Experiences I’ll Ever Endure, Especially During Covid. I Just Need A Hug 😭
Image credits: Zealousideal17
#85 After Almost A Year We’re Crossing Borders For The Last Time!
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#86 I Managed To Pop The Question Right 2 Weeks Ago Before Everything Went Sideways In The World And She Ended Up Getting To Stay With Me Due To Her Pharmd Going To Elearning. I Am Grateful To Be With Her And Feel For All The Ldr Couples Grinding Through These Uncertain Times
Image credits: ThePhysiqueEngineer
#87 This Boy Has Kissed My Stomach When I’ve Cried About It, Held My Hand When I Had No Grip, Gave Me A Shoulder When I Was Sad, Picked Me Up When I Felt Down, Listened When I Had To Talk. This Boy Has Done More For Me From 5000 Miles Away Than Anyone Ever Could. Distance Is Nothing. Ireland-USA ❤️
Image credits: staceydnn
#88 Me [26m] And My Now Canadian Wife [24f]. We Met On Online 7 Years Ago, Met In Person And Started Dating 6 Years Ago, Got Engaged 1.5 Years Ago, Applied For Our K1 Visa 9 Months Ago, And Finally Got Married Last Weekend. It Never Gets Easier Saying Goodbye, But Just Wanted To Show That It’s Possible
Image credits: iamhim25
#89 Me From Peru (21f). Him From Us(30m). We Broke The Distance One Day. The Best Relationship I’ve Ever Had. Sadly He Died On June 23th And My Heart Is Broken. Please Hold On To Your Lovers Like Is The Last Day On Earth. Say Them How Much You Love Them. Risk It All For Love
Image credits: reddit.com
#90 38 Days Left To Finally Close The Distance! Together For 2years And 4months! Yay! Portuguese Traveling To Canada. Amo-Te Meu Amor ❤️🥂
Image credits: Joo31
#91 After 6 Years, We Finally Closed The Gap And Got Married! Never Been Happier!
Image credits: i_hate_avocados
#92 We Closed The Distance Over A Month Ago And I Don’t Think I’ve Ever Been Happier. All The Tough Days Were Worth It Now I Get To Wake Up To Her Every Morning. (Ldn - NYC)
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#93 Closing The Distance Today After Over 2000 Days, So Here's A Photo Of Us!
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#94 Just Invent Teleportation Already So We Don’t Have To Do The Distance!
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#95 We Got Engaged ❤️
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#96 We Finally Got Married 🥹💍
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#97 After 8.5 Years Of Ldr, I've Finally Popped The Question
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#98 He Visited This Weekend And We Went To The Botanical Garden's. I Stuck My Head Under The Leaf Of A Bridal Veil Plant And Said "Should We Get Married Now?" Then He Got Down On One Knee And Pulled Out The Ring And Asked If I Would
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#99 I Know You Browse This, Thanks For Saying Yes!
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#100 Finally Married!! 🇬🇧❤️🇺🇸
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#101 Very Happy We Got To Spend Our First Christmas In Person 💖☺️
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#102 The Amount Of Times I’ve Squeezed A Pillow Pretending It’s Them
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#103 This Drives Me Crazy
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#104 2906 Days Later... :) Said Goodbye To Distance After Almost (17 Days Shy) Of 8 Years Of Distance!
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#105 Had To Wake Up At 4:30 Am To Catch My Flight To See My BF. Was Scared I Wouldn’t Be Able To Wake Up On Time And Would Miss My Flight, So Instead I Just Stayed Up All Night. Worth It
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#106 Just Met My Love For The First Time A Couple Days Ago! We Built LEGO Flowers Together 😎❤️
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#107 Got To See My Love In Miami This Weekend! We Have Two Years Before We Close The Gap But We Try To Make Our Monthly Visits As Indulgent And Exciting As Possible
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#108 No Close To The Gap Yet But Damn Am I Happy We Took The Leap💕 Got To Hang Out With Him For A Month Before Returning Back To California. Keep Your Chin Up Everyone! Married 12-23-2019
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#109 We Are Officially Married!! (28f NY, 32m Wa)
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#110 I Feel Like This Meme Belongs Here
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#111 Missing My Baby A Little Extra Tonight... 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
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#112 My(19f) Long Distance Boyfriend(18m) Finally Come Visit Me At The Cosplay Event!🥺❤️
Image credits: 5274863729
