8 Tips For Visiting Your Long-Distance Man

You’re flirting on IM and email; the phone calls are long and romantic—this guy seems too good to be true! But the only catch is – you’ve never actually met him. Ladies, before you get swept up in the romance of it all, check out some essential tips for long distance relationships from The Frisky’s Simcha Whitehill. She’s been there done that and if you follow her advice, you could save yourself a lot of heartache and regrets.

BTW, these tips work just as well for guys too – so for all you hopelessly romantic men out there, listen up! We’re only going to tell you this once!

Pick Up: If the dude drops off the face of the planet before you’re supposed to arrive, consider yourself warned. Getting closer to him won’t make him easier to reach. There should be easy, frequent communication right up until the trip.
Pencil Him In: Part of visiting someone is managing your expectations about the amount of time you’ll be spending with them. Just because you’re around doesn’t mean they’ll drop everything to be with you. Make sure you know when you’re going to hang. Have a relatively firm date plan. Even if you’re staying with him, get a sense of his schedule.
Reason To Believe: Sure, you’re going to see your man. But what are you going to do when he’s at work? Or what if he bails? Come up with another reason for traveling. Why is the area known for being awesome? Find out, and have a back-up plan so you don’t ever sit around waiting or moping.
Real Talk: It’s easy to hide behind email, IM, and texts. But what’s this guy like off-the-cuff, and for reals? When he doesn’t have time to come up with something witty, what does he say? Talk on the phone or, better yet, Skype before you make the trek to try face-to-face time.
Photo Op: He may have been the hottest guy at your high school, or says he’s been mistaken for Javier Bardem, but you should have a 99 percent accurate idea of what he looks like now. Don’t fear looking shallow for making this request. Before you invest time and money, he shouldn’t be afraid to toss in a few casual shots of himself (and vice versa).