Before you leave:


The easiest way that I’ve been able to communicate with loved ones back home was through “Google Voice.”  If you have a gmail account, you can sign up to connect your email with a phone number, and through it you can send texts to phones in the U.S.  It costs no money, and is just as fast as normal texting.  When they reply, the response comes to your email, so whenever you have internet access, you can text through it.  However, you have to sign up for an account before you leave because it won’t let you once you’re in México.

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It’s also important to make a communication plan before you leave.  Talk about your expectations and what’s realistic, so there’s not any surprises.  You’re not going to be able to talk all the time or Skype every day.  There are times when the internet is down or you’re traveling or you’re both just too busy.  Talk about how often you would like to talk but make sure you establish that sometimes weeks may have less or almost no communication.


My last tip for before you leave is to give each other something special as a goodbye gift.  Because I’m super corny, I wrote my boyfriend a note for every day that I was gone, and he gave me a necklace and one of his favorite shirts to wear that I always sleep in here.  Having a daily reminder of your significant other will help bridge the distance a little.  Another student said his girlfriend made him a memory book journal that she wrote and put pictures in all semester before he left. Be creative! The more personal, the better.


While you’re there:


The best form of communication is, of course, Skype.  It allows you to see each other and have a regular conversation (although lags and freezing may get annoying after a while).


You can also always use email and facebook.  Through these you can send heart-felt messages or funny pictures, whatever is normal for you.  If you both have an Iphone or Ipod, you can also communicate just like texting through them when you have internet.


Unfortunately, the mail here is not the most practical way to communicate.  Though it’s nice to receive a hand written letter or care package, the mail system here is unreliable and takes about 2-4 weeks to arrive, if it does arrive.   However, it does work well to send gifts to your boyfriend or girlfriend in the U.S. through the internet.  For Valentine’s Day, I ordered my boyfriend a gift online and another student sent flowers to his girlfriend through www.flowers.com, and it was super easy.


And if it’s convenient, your significant other can fly down to visit you, most likely during Spring Break.  For me this wasn’t an option, but one student’s boyfriend visited her, and she said it helped and was really nice!  This could be a really great idea if it works for you, but be aware that it might also backfire and make it harder to say goodbye a second time.


Above all else this is my biggest piece of long distance relationship advice:


DON’T LET YOUR RELATIONSHIP GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR SEMESTER GOALS OR STOP YOU FROM DOING THINGS YOU WANT TO DO.  You’ve chosen to study abroad for a reason, and if your mind is stuck in the U.S., or you’re always skipping out on things to Skype your boyfriend or girlfriend, you will miss out on the experience.  This is your chance to be selfish because this is your semester to explore, discover, and achieve what you want without your relationships taking priority. 
Being apart won’t be easy, and it will cause some stress on both of you, but if you do the semester right, the time will fly by.  And after all, absence makes the heart grow fonder right?