During my college years, I can clearly recall my roommate, who if you see her for the first time you would mistake her as a crazy woman who is having an affair with her laptop. She looks at her notebook with much adoration and admiration and sometimes I can see her hugging it and kissing the webcam. She can go all night chatting and conversing on the phone and exchanging sweet nothings in front of her laptop. As a matter of fact she interacts more to her laptop than me, her room buddy. We manage to keep short conversations like "hi's" and "hello's" or "how's your day" and that's it.

She would then put on her headset of her laptop and disappear into oblivion. The truth of the matter is, my room buddy is involved in a long distance love affair and the internet is one of their modes of communication. Being in a long distance love relationship is not easy. You got to have what it takes to make it work. There are certain compromises that should be done and one of that is of course the lack of physical intimacy. Some people can withstand that test of time of long distance love relationship affair but some succumb to need of physical closeness.

To those who are involved in long distance love here are some points to remember if you want to make it stronger and stable. One of course is communication. This is the lifeline of your relationship, so you better make it good. Your communication should be sustained, constant and consistent. You have to keep it positive and romantic. Never leave negative and open ended dilemmas that would make your partner worry or insecure. Like any other relationships, long distance love affair has its ups and downs. When this happens you have to exert more effort in your communication skills, be more open and lucid and practice effective listening skills.

One problem in long distance love affairs is that aside from dealing with issues in your relationship, you have to deal with your own sense of self- security. You got to have that sense of self- confidence that you are doing the right, you need to have that confidence to be honest and true. In other words, you need to have that positive attitude- you need to have that trust and faith with each other. Being negative in a long distance love relationship can burden you and your partner and can eventually take its toll in your affair. Another thing to make your long distance love affair work is to be more imaginative and expressive in showing your care.

This may include phone sex and/ or sending the classic love letters through snail mail or sending romantic packages like flowers and gifts. This can sometimes make you work extra hours because sending packages doesn't come cheap but it's going to be worth it. Be creative and inspiring in keeping your intimacy running. You also need to take care of yourself, to have a life and enjoy it. Being too contained and enclosed in your relationship can limit your mind, making your more jealous and possessive. So keep yourself busy and don't be idle. And last but not the least; you have to make a commitment to yourself - to learn the virtue of patience and determination.

If things get tough and when issues cloud your mind, go back to the basics- love, this is what matters. This should be enough to keep you holding on.