Not every love story has a perfect start and a fairytale ending. In fact, the notion of “happily ever after” needs to be edited, ASAP, to include finer details such as loss of income, feuds with the in-laws and, oh say, one partner relocating to another country. But while distance certainly adds a complication, it doesn’t need to spell the end of your relationship. Keep the love alive with these tips.
“Geographical challenges don’t, and shouldn’t, necessarily translate into emotional distance,” explains Durban-based clinical psychologist Nolita Mtati. She adds that the couple must always remember why they agreed to the adjustment in the first place, as it often has to do with meeting the relationship’s long-term goals. For creative entrepreneur Nonkululeko Mlangeni- Berg and her Sweden-based art lecturer husband Simon, distance has always been part of their relationship. The pair met through a mutual friend when Simon was visiting Cape Town and jumped the broom in March 2019 after three years of Nonkululeko living between South Africa and various European countries.
