More and more people nowadays have been nurturing a long-distance romance with their significant other. In fact, 75% of all engaged couples in the US state that, at some point, their relationship has been a long-distance one. If you are considering taking a more serious step and moving for a relationship to give it a better chance to grow, here are some important things you need to be aware of before you make such a radical step.
Relocating for love is certainly not a step for relationships that are still fresh, but is still one of the most common reasons to move. While we can’t determine when a relationship is no longer considered new, we can point out a few things that can help you decide whether it’s the right time to move.
You should not feel forced into this move. If you are feeling this kind of pressure from your significant other while your romance is still in its early stages, consider it a red flag.
You may not have thought of this, but unfamiliar cities bring myriads of different challenges for fresh couples. If you’re not planning to move into your partner’s current apartment, you may need to look for an apartment together. This is no small feat, as two people who have yet to get to know each other don’t usually get along so easily. This is a big hurdle to jump over even for seasoned couples.
If you are, however, moving into your new boyfriend’s or girlfriend’s current place of living, it brings a different kind of challenges. If you haven’t had the opportunity to stay over his/her place for more than a couple of times, you may be surprised as to how they function. While many things can be perfect during a weekend stay at their place, living together before getting to know someone’s good and bad sides, among other things, is a truly risky step. We can’t forget that we all have our quirks and that none of us are flawless.
If you’re truly considering changing your place of living and relocating for love to another state – you want to be sure about it. You need to be aware that you are changing more than just your address, but even your lifestyle choices. If you’ve lived alone for a while now, there are plenty of things you need to prepare yourself for.
Living in a different state, or maybe a different country may surprise you. People might be more open to you, chatty or completely aloof. You may experience a cultural shock, especially if this is your first time moving away from a small town to a bigger city, for example.
Long-distance moves usually bring a lot more than one can expect. If you’re wondering what living in that state or country might be like, do some research or find people who have moved there from your current place of living. That way, you will be able to compare.
Discovering all the unfamiliar places with your loved one will be beyond exciting. There will be a lot more thrilling things to look forward to. But relocating for a relationship means having to find a new job and leaving your family and friends behind, which is a no small concern. How are you going to find work in a completely new city where you are not familiar with anyone? If you’re not sure how to get a job before you move, you may want to get a head start and look for work online. If you work for a corporation that is branched out or a chain store, you may want to file for relocation to that particular city or town. Either way, you must think ahead before blindly going after love.
It may not be the best idea to move in with someone for love if you haven’t lived with a roommate before. It teaches you to get used to different people that aren’t your immediate family. Like we hinted in the previous paragraph, living with someone who is relatively new can be very tricky. You may not feel completely relaxed and truly yourself yet, so building a future together might be like trying on a new piece of clothing. You might love it, but what if it doesn’t fit?
What if you suddenly find yourself living somewhere else where things aren’t going so smoothly? As a matter of fact, moving in together might kill the initial spark between you. This question of privacy is what a lot of couples struggle with. Suddenly, you feel deprived of all your privacy, your me-time is now us-time, the bathroom is shared and so is the bed. You may get used to this quickly and with no problems, but there is no doubt you will miss your privacy at some point.
There is no need to push marriage onto the table if you are starting your life together. It can mean that the relationship is going that way, but it’s not a prerequisite of living together. Find out what life together is like before making that commitment.
Of course, while there is a chance that things can go wrong, there is also a chance that this step is something of a dream come true for you. If you are in a long-distance relationship for a while, you have probably had ideas of living together for a while now. Why not give it a shot and see if it will suit you?
Now that you have all the questions and answers, you can be sure that you have better chances of success in this kind of move. Even if you don’t end up relocating for now, once the time comes, you will be ready. It’s important that you consider all the critical aspects before moving long-distance, as this is a life-changing event like no other. Hopefully, we’ve made it just a little bit less challenging for you and your partner.
