When you're not quite far enough away to warrant a plane ticket, but too far to schedule spontaneous meet-ups, you're in a mid-distance relationship. There's none of the ease that comes with living in the same neighborhood, and none of the pining that results from a thousand miles of distance — it's a special brand of inconvenience. Most weekends, you'll probably find yourself packing up two days worth of clothes and hitting the road. It's a phenomenon pervasive enough to warrant a popular TikTok hashtag, #mediumdistancerelationship.
To make this awkward amount of distance work, compromise is usually key. Ideally, both partners are able to do the same amount of traveling, this could mean trading weekends or planning a special date at an in-between location. However, this isn't always possible. Maybe only one of you has means of transportation, or maybe a roommate has objections to overnight visitors. Whatever the case, the person who isn't doing the traveling must invest an equal amount of effort: cooking dinner, making reservations, and generally taking the initiative on their home turf. Whether emotional or physical, equally dividing labor within a relationship is essential.
Ultimately, ask yourselves if mid-distance is sustainable, and check in regularly with your partner to see how they're coping. "It was worthwhile to enable us to advance our careers," Herbert Lowe explained to The Washington Post, recounting the years of traveling between cities to see his wife, Mira. For many, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
