This is the first time I've been in a long distance relationship and, as I may have already alluded to, it's tough! I miss my boyfriend terribly but I know, compared to some couples, we have it quite good seeing each other every couple of weeks or so. But still, it's not enough!

I thought the longer we were in a long distance relationship, the easier it would become but every time I see him it gets harder and harder to say goodbye. But I get through it by being positive, looking forward to the next time I'll see him and reminding myself there are some definite benefits to long distance love.

1. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder

The time we spend apart makes the time we're together that much more special. A study published in the Journal of Communication a couple of years ago found couples in long distance relationships were more likely to share meaningful thoughts and feelings than those who were not.

2. Commitment

I know for our relationship to work (and it does) my boyfriend has to be just as committed as I am. I've read so many articles saying jealousy and the fear of infidelity are the main enemies of the long distance relationship but these are honestly non-issues in our relationship because I know the effort we're both putting in just wouldn't be worth jeopardising for either of us.

3. Days off

You know those days when you just can't be bothered doing your hair/makeup/getting dressed/getting out of bed? A long distance relationship means no one can judge you for just not feeling it some days - the love of your life is thousands of kilometres away after all.

4. You learn to communicate more effectively

My boyfriend and I speak every day - sometimes several times per day. I keep him updated on my life and he keeps me updated on his. We have "real" conversations about real issues - far more than a lot of couples I know. And because we know our communication time is limited, we don't waste it on silly or trivial arguments... there's just not time! Dr. Crystal Jiang from the City University in Hong Kong told The Huffington Post recently: "Long-distance couples try harder than geographically close couples in communicating affection and intimacy, and their efforts do pay back."

5. Independence

Living separately means we're both still living independent lives, still hanging out with our friends, still seeing family regularly and enjoying time on our own. There is absolutely no danger of us "losing ourselves" in the relationship or living vicariously through the other person.

6. Travel

My frequent flyer account has never been healthier! Not only that but when my boyfriend recently returned home after spending some time in Sydney, we decided to drive north rather than fly so I saw parts of the coastline that I had never seen before. On top of all that I'm also currently getting to know a new city from the perspective of a local.

7. Romance = blooming

Who doesn't love a romantic gesture every now and then? We recently celebrated six months together and I received six gorgeous red roses at work complete with a teddy bear so I had something to cuddle that night. I'm sure had we been in the same city he would have done something equally sweet but the girls at the office just wouldn't have been as impressed!

8. It's not just physical

Some would say, at just six months, our relationship is still in the "honeymoon phase". But while others who have been together for a similar period might be questioning what their relationship is all about, I know for sure that mine is built on a solid base of mutual respect and love. The long distance thing means we were forced to seriously evaluate our relationship a lot sooner than we might have ordinarily done so we both knew exactly where we stood early on.

9. It forces you to be positive

I am naturally quite a positive person but, of course, I have some down days. I learnt very early on though that sitting around pining for my boyfriend or crying into my cereal just isn't going to make the time pass quicker, nor will it bring us closer together. If anything, it just makes me miserable and then even more miserable because there's no one here to hug me and tell me it's all going to be OK. Focusing on the positive aspects of a long distance relationship (like writing this post) helps.

10. That moment when you see each other again after a long (or not so long!) period of separation

Enough said!