A long distance relationship is a trial of patience for two people in love. I've had my share of them due to my job commitments and at this stage in time, university degree requirement. In this article I will share several ideas on ways to not only sustain a pre-existing relationship but also develop it further.
　　
　　I am assuming that you two have already been in a relationship for a reasonable amount of time. Your time together is precious and sacred and both of you appreciate the fact that among thousands of people out there, the two of you chose to be together. I assume here that there are no lies, that both are committed to the relationship.
　　
　　Truth is, your biggest enemy is time. But at the same time, time squandered is a waste. For example, you spend all your life pining away for your partner hundreds or thousands of miles away when the thing that needs doing - your job, your degree, your life - is put on hold. Stop. You might say, “Well, its all part of the fun isn't it? Staying up late, listening to silly soppy songs on radio, re-reading old letters. Where's the harm in that?” Frankly, ma'am, a little is alright but a lot is way out of context.
　　
　　Balance is the key to maintaining sanity in a long distance relationship. True, you may love him/her. But if you spend all your time focusing on how much you miss him/her, it will affect your moods and just make you a duller person.
　　
　　On with the list of of Ten Ideas to Sustain A Long Distance Relationship

　　
　　远距离恋爱对于相爱的两人来说是一种考验。我对此颇有所感，是因为我的工作承诺以及我这一阶段需要获得的大学学位使我踏入了远距离恋爱的行列。在以下文字中，我将与大家分享一些方法，教你如何不仅维系好已经存在的恋爱关系，更能够使之很好地发展下去。
　　
　　假定你们俩已经在一起有一段时间了，那些时间对你们来说一定是珍贵而又神圣的。你们都感激上帝让你们在芸芸众生中选择与对方在一起。假定你们之间没有谎言，彼此都忠于这份感情。
　　
　　那么，事实上，你们最大的敌人会是时间。但是，同时，花大量的过多的时间却也是一种铺张浪费。比如说，你把所有的精力花在为你那几百或者几千英里外的另一半而憔悴消瘦，这种时候，你正把需要做的工作，你需要完成的学业甚至你自己的生活搁置一边。“嘿！等等！”你会说，“呃，但是这正是乐趣所在，不是吗？熬夜，聆听收音机里传来的痴情的歌曲，重读旧情书，这又有何害处呢？”坦白地说，小姐，难得几次是可以的，但是，过分多地这样子做就有问题了。
　　
　　找到平衡点是一段远距离恋爱稳步发展的关键所在。是的，你爱他或她。但是如果你把你所有的时间花在计算你有多想他或者她的话，那将影响你的情绪，也将让你变得更加无趣。
　　

　下面让我们开始看看这十种维系远距离恋爱的方法吧。

　　
　　Have DVD Fridays/Weekends
　　
　　The idea is that even though you're apart, it wouldn't hurt to synchronize watching a movie rental together. At least, after the movie, you can have a chat about the movie. Whether you liked it or not, or whether you identified with this or that character. At the very least, it's a conversation topic.
　　

　　Work on a Common Project.
　　
　　A friend of mine works in Beijing while his wife is in the US. They're engaged and working hard towards securing their future. They've just bought a home and are thinking of decorating it. Other than actually buying stuff and shipping it home （which can be extremely expensive!）， whip out that Cameraphone, snap pics, put a price to it and post it on Flickr or set up a blog. Now both of you are engaged in the search of fantasy furniture pieces!
　　

　　Share the Same Dream
　　
　　My gay friend and his partners are fitness buffs. They had this crazy idea of doing the 100km marathon. The thing is, one of them is going away to the States for his studies and will periodically at the end of the year for his winter break. So I told them, why not train separately, but aim for a common end point. End of the year come back and race together. How about keeping a couple's training journal?
　　

　　Skype & MSN
　　
　　The key ingredient for any great relationship is COMMUNICATION. Instantaneous if possible, delayed at best. Skype offers anybody with a fast broadband connection and decent CPU processor speed the opportunity to call anybody on the internet for FREE. If you can't talk, use MSN messenger or any dozens of competing Instant Messaging services to keep in touch and focused. There's now no excuse to communicate if calls are FREE and messages are Instantaneous!

　　
　　Stay Grounded and Focused
　　
　　I can't emphasize this enough. Most people who arrive in a new city suddenly find themselves surrounded by new things to do, new people to meet etc. With that comes the temptation to try something new. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, or so they tell me. RESIST. Tell yourself, that you are in a perfectly good relationship and that you shouldn't put yourself in a compromising position. Life shouldn't be an episode of “Sex in the City”. That kind of life leaves you depleted and hollow. Before one of you leave, get a set of commitment rings/studs/bracelet - anything. It doesn't have to be flashy but it is a token, a reminder that you carry in your heart, his/her heart. Mean it when you give it to him/her.