Your Boyfriend Is Moving Away—Is It As Bad As It Sounds?

Imagine both of you are pursuing further studies, and your boyfriend has just got accepted to a program in another state or, even worse, another country. Or, he just got a fantastic promotion which requires him to relocate to Italy. All of a sudden, you start getting pessimistic and doubtful about the future of your relationship. On top of that, you catch yourself feeling guilty. Instead of popping champagne bottles, you are constantly wondering about your future as a couple.

——————————————————————————————————————–

Don’t blame yourself. Anyone facing this situation would feel the same (unless they don’t have feelings for their partner). All of a sudden, you are forced to evaluate your relationship and make a decision if it’s worth continuing your love story.

How do you deal with the situation? First and foremost, understand that asking him to choose between a new life in another place and you is just plain wrong.

——————————————————————————————————————–

Why is he moving away?

Talk and understand your partner’s intentions. When I started dating my boyfriend, he had to leave India very soon — his company had shut down, he was not able to find another job in a short period of time (they were not willing to employ non-citizens), hence he couldn’t get a visa.

He did his best looking for jobs, but we slowly understood that staying in India was unlikely to happen. Eventually, he moved to China because he received a great job offer (and … uhm … the only one). He couldn’t avoid the move, and we were definitely not ready to end our relationship. So, a LDR seemed to be the only solution (partially because, back then, I was sure that LDRs were so easy, as long as you love your babe … so not true).

——————————————————————————————————————–

What about your partner? Did he get a temporary job project assignment for one year and has to move abroad to complete it? Did you both just graduate and have to go to different cities? Or, did he decide to move across the country and try settling there without any specific reason? Is this move unavoidable?

——————————————————————————————————————–

How long is he moving for?

Is it a temporary or a permanent move? If he knows that he will come back, here’s the solution: wait for him… It’s not going to be easy, but it is possible to make it through. Even if both of you are moving to different places to finish your education (even if it takes as long as four years) you can still handle the separation because you will have a clear deadline before you even start your LDR. In addition to that, you can concentrate on pursuing your personal goals which were forgotten because you were too busy with your sweetheart. Use the time alone to develop yourself!

——————————————————————————————————————–

Now, the bitter truth: If he got an amazing job offer, and is moving to a place which is a twelve-hour flight away (and it will be permanent), that doesn’t sound promising. To be honest, it’s most likely to die slowly.

If both of you prioritize your personal/career goals over your relationship, it’s completely fine. But it should get you thinking, what does this relationship mean to you, and should you give it a chance and work on it at all? Sometimes, it makes more sense to end it than possibly have an ugly end in the future.

Any love story requires quite a bit of work and compromise. If you are located in different zip codes, it will need much more effort from both of you than being in a regular relationship. If you are willing to let go some of your ambitions/goals in exchange for saving your love, there are quite a few options.

You could move with him and try to pursue your career there. Alternatively, he could think about rejecting the offer and finding a job where you are. Also, you could stay where you are for some time and your partner could spread the word (and CV) about you in his new location — that would open you some doors even without physically being there.

That’s what we did, and it worked out quite well. I kept sending job applications to companies in China, providing local phone number of my boyfriend in advance before flying down. Meanwhile, he was promoting my skills everywhere — meetings with clients, bars, friends, his workplace etc. It worked out very well. The day I landed in China, I had no time to overcome my jet lag — I had interviews lined up!

——————————————————————————————————————–

How far away is he moving and are you capable of continuing the relationship over a distance?

Big distances create big time differences, are too impractical for weekend visits, and are costly. When we decided that we would try to pursue a long distance relationship, we actually sat down and figured out how much money we would be able to invest into our love. In other words, how many flights we will be able to take. 🙂

Be honest with yourselves: You won’t be able to last for long if you can only meet once in six months. On another hand, your boss won’t be happy if you plan to take a week’s leave every few months. Can you meet for a weekend every 1-2 months? How long can you stay without seeing each other?

What does his move mean to your relationship and what to do about it?

You have these options:

  • Have a temporary LDR with a plan for one of you to move. If you have been reading my blog, you might be tired of me repeating how important it is to plan closing the distance. I honestly believe that love, compassion, respect and planning are the only ingredients needed to have a happy-ending LDR. If one of you is okay to follow the partner, you are half way there. Feeling anxious about moving and ending up being an unemployed housewife? You might not take me seriously, but you will not end up sitting at home as long you have goals and work on chasing them. I’ve moved to three new countries so far (and I would do it few more times), and I’ve managed to settle and continue my career every time- just because I believed I could do it.
  • Pursue the relationship until he comes back, because the LDR is a temporary optionAs long as you have the end date for your LDR (even if it’s as long as studying abroad for 4 years), it’s possible. Talk about how you will handle that phase, establish some rules, decide how often you will meet and, of course, spare time for learning how to handle your LDR.
  • Try to have a LDR without the end date and…and wait until it slowly dies. If you both understand that he has to move for good but none of you are willing to give up anything…that’s a red flag. Maybe, the smartest thing to do is to end the relationship. If the relationship is bound to end, taking that call while you both still have a positive attitude towards each other (with the agreement to remain friends and let each other know if one day you end up in the same location) might be the best you can do. And maybe you could take it forward one day from where you left it. Don’t take up the challenge unless you are sure you want to do it.

It’s not an easy decision I hope these questions might help you make up your mind:

  • Will you be able to spend your evenings alone and not get low?
  • How often you will need to see him?
  • Will you get jealous if he has female friends or angry if he won’t be able to text or call for days?
  • Will you be able to spend holidays and personal celebrations apart?
  • Will you remain honest?
  • Will you stay faithful?
  • Do you trust him with all your heart?
  • Will you enjoy your life alone?
  • Will you manage to solve problems by communicating verbally?
  • Will you go an extra mile for seeing him?

I hope this helps you to take the right call about your relationship. And if you decide to continue your love story (which I hope you do!), check out the related articles for the future 🙂

20 thoughts on “Your Boyfriend Is Moving Away—Is It As Bad As It Sounds?

  1. Hi there,
    In my case of my relationship situation with my fiancé which is we are getting married in just few months away. So suddenly, he had an offer to move to L.A for 1-2 year but I can not go with him because of my situation that I have a 2 year son with my previous boy friend. We both don’t want to leave each other or break up for that reason but we really don’t know what the right answer. He said if he leaves me in California and he’s in somewhere else he will loose his mind and plus he already has trust issues so he couldn’t figure out if there is away! Please help us out!!

    1. Hi Lina,

      I’m sorry to hear your confusion. But I have to be honest with you that there are quite a few important factors why your long distance relationship wouldn’t be so hard to manage: you already know the the duration of time you have to stay apart; you are in a serious relationship and are about to become a family; the distance you would have between you would allow you to spend at least two weekends a month together; you would have no time difference which would allow smooth communication and, of course, affordable calling rates and smooth network when on the call! On another hand, you both should evaluate the reasons WHY would he choose to move- is it benefiting him financially/allows to build his career/he has no other choice? Is the reward good enough to sacrifice living together for a year? I understand that it feels really bad right now, but him moving apart for a year or two might even help your relationship and solve his trust issues (as long as you both work on that, of course). Hope it all goes well!

      Hugs, Lisa

  2. Room mate turned serious boyfriend moved 24 hrs away to try to become a ff. She lives in a giant wonderful new england city, & am emploed by the best college there is. ( begins with H) does she leave & follow him. She hates the climate, bugs, etc… lack of public transportation &
    Ivy League colleges,

  3. My boyfriend might be moving to California and we are both in N.Y. right now. We are 23 and still live with our parents. We have been together for almost 3 years and it has been amazing. He is completely understanding and wonderful. His parents own the building He is currently staying in but they want to rent it out entirely so they want him out and to move him away to California to stay with his older brother. He has told me how beautiful and big the house is and how much he wants me to be happy in a home like that so he encourages me to try to better my life since my family and i currently live in a small railroad type apartment in New York.. We don’t have money or amazing jobs at all so we can’t afford to move out of here. Definitely not in a very very very very long time even if I go to college which will take even longer. My mom is a single mom. Aside from that, he can’t move here with me as I don’t have the space.. and I can’t go with him because my mom wouldn’t allow that nor would I feel happy leaving them behind in a sloppy place. Plus, he also doesn’t want me to feel guilty for leaving them. He says it is temporary and he plans to come back here, he says it would be for 6 months to 1 year but I always think about the possibilities of what if he likes it there and decides to stay or something of the sorts. He tells me if I work on my future while he does the same if he is to move there he will be finding his way to come back and I should find my way to better my life and come to him or get him back here. It is so much to think about because even so.. those things can’t happen in the span of a year. I can’t afford a house. I wish i could. I don’t want to lose him every morning and every night and times in the day it feels like my whole world is falling apart and I can’t find it in me to do anything. I am happy he is willing to stay with me but I just wish he would stay. I wish his parents would just let him stay.

  4. I just recently dealt with my boyfriend now X moving. Long story short he moved to another state to reunite with his kids and a female “friend” offer to let him live with her. I knew of this woman and was told repeatedly that they were just close friends. While I figured he would date at some point (I am in MA and he is in FL )what I was not expecting was to find out last week that he has started the woman he moved in with . He has only been in FL for a month. They started dating a little over a week ago… Its painful and it hurts. I was with this person off and on for over 3 years and was intimate with him a 5 days before he left….

  5. This kind of blogs really help me coz i’ve been feeling so down. I’m in a 5 year relationship. We’ve been together since High school. I’m a college student and he was studying as well but then he had to stop because of financial problems. (His mom is a single mom) So he and his mom decided that he will continue his studies in the Philippines which is reaaally far from Greece. The time difference is one of the hardest thing. I really don’t know how to deal with all of these, I haven’t been in a LDR before and I know it’s not easy. It’s really hard for me because in just one snap everything can change and it’s really heartbreaking when I think that any time we might end the relationship because of the situation. 🙁

    1. So sorry to hear it’s been difficult for you, Jacky. How long has it been since you are apart? Long distance is possible, but it is really not easy. I know I won’t make you feel better, but I have went through the same feeling that you are having right now many times. My only advice is to start planning on closing the distance- even if you can only do it in few years due to the studies, start planning, waiting, talking about it. I guarantee, it will help you to stay positive! Wish you all the best.

      Hugs, Lisa

  6. Hello

    I am 21 and have been with my boyfriend for 3 years. We are still madly in love. He got a job offer in California for the summer, and I am going to Germany for 4 months. Our situations overlap, so we will be apart for 7 months. I am worried we will drift apart. I think we can make it because we have planned visits, but I’m just worried he will find someone else or lose interest. He has not given me any reasons to think any of this would happen, it is really just my own anxiety.

    Any suggestions to keep my anxiety away during this tough time?

  7. My boyfriend is most likely going to be moving for a job either this August or next. It hurts so much and I wish I could go with him but although I’m 20 years old, I live with my mom who would be alone and is very close to me. She constantly reminds me how scared she is to have me leave one day and often times (alot of times) that leads to arguments, she also doesn’t like My boyfriend and when the idea of one day getting married to him comes up, she tells me how long I should wait so she can be ready (many years). We’ve been together for two years and I feel it’s too soon for all this but I’m also just too scared to leave her alone. My only option is to have a ldr and i dont know how to handle this. I dont want to end things because hes my love and I know we can get through this but I’m also having doubts. He barely told me yesterday about all this and I haven’t stopped crying thinking about it. I feel so selfish for wanting him to stay but I’m also happy he wants to Pursue his carrier. I don’t know if the move will be temporary or not and I’m asking him questions about everything. My anxiety is awful about all this
    How do we get through this?

  8. My boyfriend is moving to Barcelona and I am in Gran Canaria, he doesnt know how long he will be staying there, he doesnt even want to talk about it because he knows it makes me sad and its also hard enough for him. The thing is that I dont know if he is gonna end our relationship when he leaves, I have tried multiple times to ask him but he avoids the question… Im afraid he is gonna break up with me. I feel really bad because all I can think of is he breaking up with me… I know it sounds like a drama, but we actually love each other so much. I really want him to go out there and do what he’s always wanted but at the same time I dont know what that could mean for our relationship. I cant barely sleep these days, I cant barely concentrate in work, my head is a mess of thoughts right now. I’d appreciate it if you could help me or give me some advice

  9. My boyfriend is going away to the army from February for 2 years. He only told me this in the middle of November when he asked me to be his girlfriend. I felt like crying immediately after he told me this. We were together before 3 years ago but we were both very busy with school so we couldn’t be together. When he asked me to be with him in November he said he wanted to ask me for a few months but was too shy. Every time I think about him leaving and not seeing him for 2 years I get so upset cause I will see our friends who we both hang out with but he won’t be there. Whenever I had a problem or was sick he was there for me now that he’s leaving I sometimes am thinking about and sometimes am not. I wish he wasn’t going. I really enjoy talking to him . He talked to me every night one week I was sick and it was so nice.

  10. My boyfriend and I are pretty serious with this relationship and of course have commitments, but he is moving to Australia for his studies for the next 4 years, he would come to visit me at least once every year but I’m not sure if this will work obviously because it’s gonna be a LDR and I’m not sure if we can do this together. I also have anxiety issues which probably worsens this situation.
    Please help me find a way to this:(

  11. My partner will be moving to korea for a year and i wont be able to see him do you have any advice for me

  12. Hi ,I’m unsure what to do my boyfriend is going to university about a 4 hour drive away ,we’ve been together for 2 years and we both want it to work but I can’t stop worrying and getting upset over it 🙁 what should I do ??

  13. So, me and my boyfriend have been together for two years now. we both live with our families right now in Michigan, but his family is heading down to Florida for who knows how long. i’m pretty sure he is going with them. I really don’t know how to stop crying honestly. He is truly my best friend and I feel like i’ll be completely broken when he leaves. I don’t know how to feel better about this situation. Advice? Thanks

  14. Hi!! um.. my bf will be moving to Canada with his family while Ill be staying in Hong Kong.. we are both young and not financially stable but have planned that this LDR will last around 2-3 year minimum. Our plan is either for me to move over to Canada for a job, or we both apply for a job thats located in China ( we’ve been doing research) We talked about it and we didnt want to break up because we know theres a solution to the problems LDR might cause us, but im still worried. My friends keep telling me to break up now before it gets ugly or before he cheats on me or before the love dies and its been making me so insecure and anxious. I guess what Im asking for is some advice on this? how should I look at it? should i listen to my friends and break up or “take a break” from the relationship? or look forward to our ‘plan’ and keep moving forwards together ?

  15. I went on two dates with a guy, and the day after our second date, he moved to a different state. He said he would take longer than a month, but he would probably come back to Florida in a few months. His apartment lease was ending, finding a job was becoming tough, and his mom wanted him to move out due to the death rate from Coronavirus down here. He decided it was a great opportunity to go on a road trip, and he told me about it as we drove to his city during our second date. He takes two to four days to respond through email, because he is staying in at his friend’s parent’s house in the countryside of Ohio, where the internet connection sucks. I do not know if I should wait to see how this unfolds or just move on with my own life.

Leave a Reply to Arpita Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*