Now you’re here. Mommy and Daddy are gone, no more bratty younger siblings and you are no longer subject to grandma’s stories. Of course, you’re glad to leave all that and begin a new life at college. If you could only bring your high school sweetheart, life would be almost perfect. It’s difficult to juggle a long-distance relationship with a full credit load, community service and a vibrant social life. In order to make it work, it is imperative that you and your sweetie sit down and figure out whether your relationship can stand the test of time and distance, literally. Dax Boatwright, 22, was involved in a long-distance relationship and learned that a relationship cannot prosper without a foundation.”We just had a physical attraction towards one another and we thought we would go well together, but in reality we were wasting each other’s time,” said Boatwright, a senior English education student from Melbourne.When deciding whether a long distance relationship is right for you, you have to ask yourself some challenging questions. Could you take all the physical aspects away from the relationship and still want to keep it? Have the two of you ever been apart for a long period of time? Can you handle the task that lies ahead? There’s nothing worse than heartache caused by the unknown. If you’re 500 miles away and you don’t know what your sweetie is doing, you have to be willing to let trust kick in. A relationship must be built on this fundamental value or else the efforts to maintain it will be wasted. Not only must you trust your mate, but you must also trust yourself to let love prevail over lust and convenience. Just because you see a tasty replacement doesn’t mean it’s worth risking your hard work and effort over.”I believe that long-distance relationships are possible, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.” said Dorian Swinton, 21, a senior English student from Deerfield Beach. “It allows too much space for other things to occur, such as infidelity.” There have been many sagas about long-distance relationships. As you sincerely ponder pursuing a long-distance relationship, make sure you are adequately equipped to handle the temptation and trials that lie ahead. When it all boils down to it, don’t let others dictate the future of your love. If you love your mate, then make it happen. There will be several times where it may seem in vain, but you must persevere to the end and remember that all good things come to those who truly set their hearts to it.