As new JETs arrive in Japan during the next few weeks, there are bound to be some leaving their significant others behind. Long distance relationships can be a scary thing for couples that have not much time apart.
The internet is chock full of ideas and suggestions in neat, bullet-pointed lists so that you can skim through several articles in a short period of time. But, instead of dealing with issues found in long distance relationships, they list advice that is beneficial to any relationship. The writers give you wiggle room to interpret their words to suit your own relationship, for good or bad. “Be committed,” “Make time for each other,” “Be honest,” and “Stay positive” were the most common suggestions. What does that even mean? On the days you are feeling confident in your relationship; you can imagine things lining up with the criteria. “I called him twice today! We are nailing this long-distance thing!” On rough days, you see things a little differently. “I called him twice today. Should I have called him at lunch time too? What if this isn’t often enough?” How much of the criteria did you fit into today? 8 out of 10? 3 out of 10? How many will it be tomorrow?
Instead of relying on internet lists, I wanted to get advice from real people. So I asked JETs who have been in (or a currently in) a long distance relationship. My brief research brought me to one conclusion – our favorite phrase in the JET program.
“Every Situation Is Different (ESID).”
Or, maybe in this case “Every Relationship Is Different (…ERID)?”