There I stood at the edge of the driveway with tears flowing down my face, watching the car pull out and slowly drive away as my boyfriend waved goodbye to me. We now faced the biggest challenge of our relationship: long distance.

My boyfriend Matt and I had been together for about a year when he went off to college at the University of Iowa, a little over a three hour drive away from home. We had toggled with the idea of doing long distance, and ultimately decided to do it. Although long distance is difficult, it can strengthen a couple’s relationship in the long run and help develop a more meaningful connection.

The first couple of months were the hardest, as we were just starting to figure out different techniques to stay “together” while apart. Some days were harder than others, especially on days where all I needed was a hug. The fact that I couldn’t even hug my best friend broke my heart.

We both really struggled with communicating about our feelings, and this often led to bouts of frustration and tension between us. It was difficult to find time in our busy schedules to FaceTime, and this often made me feel like we were living two completely separate lives. It felt awful.

Fortunately, as the months progressed, we finally found ways to stay better connected and our relationship became stronger than ever. We overcame all these hardships by relying on each other for support and trusting that our love would carry us through.

I used to think to myself, “How could our relationship possibly succeed when we are over 200 miles apart?” Now, just over a year later and two years into our relationship, I feel more confident in my relationship and emotionally more connected to my boyfriend than I ever did when we lived just 5 miles apart.

Long distance relationships require lots of effort, but with the right foundation of love, they can actually prove to be extremely beneficial and successful for couples in the long run. With reasonable expectations for both partners, strong communication and full, undeniable trust, the distance can strengthen the love between two people and ensure the possibility of a good future.

Some people believe that the distance between a couple leads to a disconnect. Even though lack of in-person contact can cause feelings of isolation, this can also encourage the couple to ultimately communicate more, so they are able to feel more emotionally connected to one another.

According to SWNS Digital, 55% of people reported feeling closer to their partner in the long run and 69% of people felt they talked more with their partner than they did when they weren’t in a long distance relationship. While long distance relationships can create an intense sense of longing for one another, the time apart can actually lead to healthier habits.

Even though long distance can prove to be trying for a relationship, pushing through the bad days will ultimately end up making the relationship so much stronger than it previously was. If you truly love someone, no amount of miles can stop you from loving that person.