Doubting your long distance relationship? Don’t.

by Ryan Miles – Horizon Sports Editor

Long distance relationships and college: To plenty of people the two subjects generally don’t go well together. However, there are some brave couples at Hesston College who decide to take on the challenge of being many miles apart and attending school all at the same time. One of them is freshman Tori Craw.

“Long distance was never the plan with my boyfriend and I, it just kind of happened,” she said.

Craw said the relationship with her boyfriend is still going strong. The thing is, research shows their success may not be unique.

The Huffington Post reported on a study published in the Journal of Communications last summer which found that absence may actually make the heart grow fonder.

The study suggested “that couples who participate in a healthy long-distance relationship can have more meaningful interactions than couples who see each other daily.”

Craw agrees.

“Long distance can be done as long as both people are willing and committed to each other. In fact, the relationship may even thrive.”

What’s the secret? According to Craw, lots of conversation.

“Although it has been tough, long distance has strengthened our relationship because we have had to think about and discuss a lot of things we never would have had to without distance,” she said. “Because of the discussions, we have grown to know each other in new ways we would have not otherwise.”