Junior Jack Swiler and senior Nicki Balm (who lives in Palisades, NY) try to not let 1,224 miles become an obstacle in their relationship. As crazy as it sounds, the long-distance couple met at New England Music Camp during the summer of 2010 and have been going strong for a year and six months.

Staying connected in a long-distance relationship (LDR) isn’t as hard as it was years ago when there wasn’t texting, video chatting, and social networking sites. Although Balm and Swiler use technology to communicate regularly, Balm said, “[Jack] insists that we communicate through snail mail and writing love letters to one another. He says it brings a sense of real romance into our lives.”

Juniors Madeleine Hage from Edina and Alex Kontopolis (who lives in Chicago) have it easier than Balm and Swiler. “We see each other about three times a month at debate competitions,” said Hage.

Constant communication is a must in LDRs when a couple can’t see each other on a daily basis. “We talk to each other all the time through texting, skype, and calling, and we have a lot of mutual friends that we can talk through.” Hage said.

It’s hard enough balancing homework, friends, and extracurriculars but having to schedule in a relationship as well can have its advantages and disadvantages. For Hage, it’s easier to have a boyfriend who lives far away. “The way my schedule works, [an LDR] is nice when you don’t have a lot of free time. Other people wouldn’t understand,” she said.

For Balm and Swiler, it’s more difficult to see each other. “It’s really important that the time we spend together makes up for the time we spend apart. We’re both very busy people which makes it difficult…but it’s all part of the sacrifice,” Balm said.

The saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” couldn’t be more true for these two couples. As for Balm and Swiler, they don’t have many plans for the future but Balm said, “We’re not planning on breaking up.”