Embrace The Quality Time

I had a conversation with a friend last Sunday. She's divorced and has 2 young daughters. She's dating a man who is also divorced with 2 young daughters. We were discussing our relationships and all the challenges we face and ironically, she reminded me of one of the major benefits of being in a long-distance relationship.

She and her SO actually work together and see each other nearly every day. At first glance, I would be extremely envious of that. But then she said that despite that, they never really have any time together. Their lives are a balancing act of children, work, ex's...

For Mike and I, our time together is almost exclusively devoted to each other. Yes, we often have obligations that require our time, but for the most part, we participate together. Even when he comes for one of my shows and I'm busy for most of the day, we have dinner together and I know he's in the audience which lifts my performance to a higher level.

So actually, the four or five days a month that Mike and I spend together offer us more time than a lot of people have in proximal relationships. I'm guessing if you took a good look at your own LDR you would find the same thing is true.

So embrace your time together and be sure to make every moment count!

For more helpful tips, be sure to sign up for my free mini eBook 7 Tips for Embracing the Positives of a Long-Distance Relationship at alongdistancelove.com.

Paradise Lost

Boo hoo. I'm back from Paradise - an amazing week of sunsets, long walks on the beach, breakfasts on the balcony, incredible seafood and even a sunrise (I'm not a morning person!). And all with the love of my life. It was the perfect anniversary trip. We're already trying to figure out when we can go back. And hopefully you'll forgive me for not posting like I said I would. The time flew by, so my apologies.

After spending such a wonderful week together it's harder than ever to be away from my sweet Mike. That's the hazard to glorious visits. You realize more than ever, how much you miss each other during the separations.

Now, I make it a point to emphasize the positive aspects of long-distance relationships. It's one of my main coping mechanisms. In fact, I even wrote a free report that's available on my website A Long Distance Love. If you have a moment please check it out. I think I need to go back and reread it to remind myself because I have to admit I'm feeling pretty melancholy right now.

Adding to my funk, is the fact that we have not planned our next visit. A big no-no in the LDR rule book. But with the holidays approaching and the increasing demands on our time (my rehearsal and performance schedule keeps me VERY busy during this time of year as does Mike's job) it's difficult to coordinate a time when we can eke out a long weekend. After 3 years of carrying on this crazy long-distance relationship thing, I have faith that something will work out. There was a time when I couldn't be so calm. Thankfully, I'm handling this, even though it's the first time in the relationship that we don't have a "next visit" to anticipate.

I really would love to get input from all of you about how you cope with post-visit anxiety. All of us in LDRs can use all the coping skills we can get - especially as the holidays loom ever closer.

My eBook Is Nearly Done

Well, folks, I'm taking the plunge. I've been writing an eBook titled, "How to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work" and it's almost ready for publication. I say almost because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I keep editing it despite the experts advice that I just get it out there and begin working on a second book. I'm fairly certain that it will hit the Internet this week though. If you'd like to know when it is available, here are some options:

• Sign up in the left-hand column of this blog
• Visit www.alongdistancelove.com and sign up there (added bonus - you will receive my free report "7 Tips for Embracing the Positives of a Long-Distance Relationship")
• Send me an email at ann@alongdistancelove.com
• Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/annccook (I have to confess that I don't keep this updated as often as I'd like but I'll definitely post when the eBook is published)

Even if you're not ready to purchase the eBook, please visit the website and take advantage of the free report. Also, I'd love to hear from you about your personal LDR experiences. I'm gathering information for my next book and your story could be included.