Technical Enablers of LDR December 7, 2008

With modern telecom and transportation systems, people can increasingly lead geographically-remote relationships.  I wonder if anyone has done a study on how new technologies impact the number of LDRs over the years.  Will there be even more LDRs in the future?  If virtual reality becomes more of a reality in the future (some kind of bodysuit or brain chip for example that can relay sensory perceptions from signals transmitted through the telecommunications network), will we even need to have physically-present relationships?   

Falling short of the full virtual reality experience, there are several inventions mentioned here that may or may not help with your LDR depending on how much the likes of Hug Shirt, Lover’s Cup, KissPhone, and boyfriend pillow appeal to you.  For us, the good old telephone seems to work just fine, but a full virtual reality experience would be a dream come true.

Pros & Cons of Long Distance Relationships December 6, 2008

Pros
Independence - you can kind of live the life of a single person while having the security of being in a relationship
Time – more time to develop hobbies, move ahead in career, and build social networks
Meaningful conversations – that’s what the daily phone calls are for
Every visit is a mini honeymoon

Cons
Loneliness – not much of an issue if you have a strong social network, but still…
Travel – it’s extremely taxing on the body and the wallet, not to mention the negative environmental impact. See http://www.slate.com/id/2202431/
Cost – double rent, double kitchen stuff, double everything
Can’t be there during sickness or crisis – sigh…
Lack of physical intimacy – no need to say more

Summary
So really, we don’t recommend long distance relationships to anyone.  Why do we do it then?  Well, as I said before, we are both crazy…  Seriously though, it is perhaps a sense of responsibility towards a more stable financial future that drives us to our current state of insanity.  But then again, >8 years of daily conversations was perhaps the strongest factor in building our love, friendship, understanding, and trust.  So who knows, perhaps there really is a silver lining in every cloud…