You've met someone and experienced an instant connection. You have so much in common. The physical attraction is there. The emotional attraction is there. It's a very exciting time. You want to spend every available minute together. Unfortunately, your new found love lives far away and you're about to be separated for an extended (and unknown) period of time.

You're filled with questions not the least of which are:

        • Can a long-distance relationship work?
        • If so, how?
        • How can we stay connected when we live so far apart?

The simple answer is, yes, long-distance relationships can work and do. It's estimated that there are over 7 million couples in LDRs in the United States alone.

What's the secret to success? That answer is not quite as simple and a lot depends on the partners involved. First and foremost, remember that this is a relationship; so, many of the same "rules" apply. What makes it a bit more of an adventure is the distance that separates you.

Assuming your sweetie does not live within driving distance, the first things you need to figure out are how you will get together and how often.

Figuring out the logistics of your relationship is so important to its future health yet it can be one of the most challenging things you will undertake. And unfortunately, it comes so early in the game that you most likely have not even figured out how to communicate well with each other yet.

If you think the rules of local dating have gotten confusing, the questions like who pays, and who asks whom, are magnified 100 times when you're talking about traveling miles and miles for a date. We're not talking dinner and a movie here. There are transportation and lodging costs to consider, possibly taking vacation time from work. So many things to work out.

What you do know, is that you need to spend time together, in person, to ease the heartache of separation and allow the bond you felt when you first met to grow and strengthen.

For tips on how to strengthen your long-distance relationship and a free report about the positive aspects of an LDR, visit www.alongdistancelove.com.