Dear Carol,

My boyfriend moved after the last day of classes, but we didn’t officially break up. Is it OK to have a long-distance relationship? He lives five hours away by car.

– Long-distance relationship

Dear Long-Distance Relationship, 

Is it OK? Sure. But it can lead to heartache unless you’re both willing to put the effort into texting and talking and maybe even getting together. So think about this—because it’s not easy to be devoted to someone who is far away, and it’s even worse if Person 1 is missing Person 2 while Person 2 is secretly stirring up new romances. In short, if you both really care about and trust each other, give it a try. But there’s also something to be said for saying a sweet, heartfelt goodbye to a young love and setting each other free, grateful for what you had.

Carol Weston is the author of 16 books, including Girltalk, Speed of Life and Ava and Pip. Follow her on Insta @carolwestonnyc and visit carolweston.com.

Still want some relationship advice? Check out more Dear Carol below…
💌 “Dear Carol, My boyfriend has been pressuring me”
💌 “Dear Carol, I’m worried that I’m losing interest in my girlfriend”
💌 “Dear Carol, Help with my crush confusion”