Clear, honest communication and maintaining regular contact will be key elements in the eventual success of the relationship. If you have a chat room where you can talk online, great; if not, e-mail each other frequently. Start a daily journal of your thoughts, feelings and activities and urge him do the same. Exchange the journals on a weekly basis and share your experiences over the phone. Talk about your work, dreams and expectations for the future. Don't be afraid to discuss your failures in life, too--they're just as important as your successes. Many times, success is built upon a foundation of previous failures, real or perceived. Even when living apart, you can become part of each other¹s life.

Let him know you are serious. He can't read your mind, so you must be the one to open the doors. But before you do that, ask yourself if you¹re ready to commit to making the relationship a fulfilling, intimate and permanent one. Are you willing to open yourself up and be vulnerable? Be prepared to discuss these issues with him in an open manner.

Have the two of you discussed compatibility? It¹s the key to lasting love and the mutual understanding and affirmation that keep love and a strong relationship alive. If you're not very compatible, the relationship may merely survive; if you're extremely compatible, the relationship has the potential to thrive and be emotionally, psychosexually and intrinsically rewarding.

I recommend Will Our Love Last? by Sam R. Hamburg, ISBN 0-684-86491-6. It is an excellent, easy-to-read, book that discusses how compatibility is essential to a successful union.

You go, girl! Good luck.

--Lizzi McNeff

Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team