While being apart is seldom easy or ideal, these couples – separated by work and study commitments – have found a way to make the distance work.
Hazel and Amadis
Hazel and Amadis have been in a long-distance relationship for 10 years. They met in 2012, married in 2016 and have since welcomed a baby girl.
Hazel works in Malaysia while her husband works in Scotland. “I landed my first job in Kuala Lumpur while Amadis was working in China and at the time we were only able to see each other twice a year”.
Now that he works in Scotland, Amadis sees his family every two months. “It definitely is not easy, but we do it to ensure that we are able to provide the best life for our daughter”.
There was a time when Hazel and Amadis would keep in touch through handwritten letters and Skype dates.
“His former job required him to travel to many countries and some of these ban the use of Skype and WhatsApp. So we had to use various other platforms to keep in touch,” Hazel told FMT.
The biggest challenge is the time difference. “We’ve learnt to make some time every day to talk, even if it means sacrificing sleep,” Hazel said, joking that this has led to a lot of money spent on eye cream for her dark circles.
“We usually exchange gifts for Valentine’s Day if he is home or we go to a nice restaurant for dinner,” she said, adding that her husband always presented her with a bouquet of flowers on Valentine’s Day.
“We will not be celebrating Valentine’s Day together this year but whenever we are together every day feels like Valentine’s Day,” she gushed.
She added that Amadis is due home at the end of this month and the thought of seeing her husband after so long makes her heart race and gives her butterflies in her stomach.
Veena and Yuven
Veena and Yuven have been together for two years now. Unfortunately, they’ve spent 23 months out of that time apart due to her studies in New Zealand.
Veena moved to New Zealand to complete her undergraduate studies and decided to stay on to complete her postgraduate studies. Yuven works in Malaysia.
Besides the time difference, Veena said the biggest challenge has been not being together physically. “It is especially difficult during tough times when I long for him to be by my side to give me a warm hug”.
“We made a lot of plans as I was supposed to spend my summer in Malaysia, however, due to the pandemic and border restrictions I was not able to,” Veena said, adding that she was not prepared to be away for almost two years, and it has been a difficult adjustment.
To take the sting off their separation, the couple plan romantic virtual dates where they both dress up and go to fancy restaurants in their respective countries where they sit and talk for a couple of hours over a meal.
“I took him on a virtual tour around my city for Valentine’s Day last year. We will definitely go on a virtual date for Valentines this year and have plans to even watch a movie together.”
She added that although their options to “spend time together” are limited, she is grateful for the quality time they do spend while apart.
“Yuven definitely knows how to keep the spark alive by making my day extra special despite being thousands of miles away,” she said happily.
Veena has plans on returning home this October and cannot contain her excitement. “The thought of waiting 10 months before I can see him again is tough, but I know it is going to be the best day of my life to be reunited with his warm embrace.”
Nick and Sarah
Nick and Sarah (not their real names) have been doing ‘long distance’ since the very beginning of their relationship four years ago. “She lives and works in Singapore while I live and work here,” Nick explained.
“We used to meet up once every two months but since the pandemic hit and we are unable to travel, we keep in touch every day through FaceTime and WhatsApp calls.”
Nick said the biggest challenge in being apart is not being able to physically spend time with Sarah.
“There are times when I just want to hold her or see her eye to eye when I talk about my day,” he said, explaining that there is a limited amount of affection that can be shared through video calls.
Nick and Sarah usually spend Valentine’s Day by sending each other their favourite food and chatting over Skype.
This year is extra special. “Since we are now able to travel, I am hoping to fly over to Singapore to be with her,” he said, although he is unable to make it in time for Valentine’s Day.
Things will be different next year however, as the two plan on settling on one location. “I am excited to spend my days with her and proceed with the next stage of our life.”