A month and some
What we’ve been up to
It has been over a month since we announced nearby, and in that time we’ve heard from more than two dozen people who are or have been in long-distance relationships. We have talked to people whose relationships have spanned a decade and different continents, couples trying to navigate marriages in different time zones and partners who have only started out on this rollercoaster of a ride.
The stories we have heard have been incredibly different, but very much the same. No matter the distance or time apart, the challenges of being in a long-distance relationship are almost universal. In almost the exact same words, respondents have told us about the anguish that comes with not having the person you love physically present when you need them the most, the challenges of communication and — as one person alluded to — the issue of maintaining a bond strong enough to withstand the distance.
There are hundreds of resources for couples in LDRs (as they are fondly known) On Facebook alone, I found over three-dozen groups, there are long and extensive Reddit threads, online gift guides, forums and anything else you could possibly think of. But what nearby is aiming to do is different. We want to explore what a product that helps long distance relationships could look like and produce a collection of stories about some of the real-life couples we’ve encountered while working on this project. But we can’t do any of that without your help.
If you’re in a long distance relationship, we want to listen to you.
The more we talk to couples, the more we learn. So, please reach out if you are in a long-distance relationship or know someone who is. We’re looking for stories where immigration has played a significant role in the nature of the long-distance relationship, couples from vastly different backgrounds, and even married couples with children who have or are in long-distance relationships. Email us at thenearbyproject@gmail.com or fill out our survey (also embedded below) and we will reach out to you.
