With long-distance, relationships need to have a really strong foundation in trust and communication. Any relationship does, but it's so much more important if you spend so much time apart.

For instance, courtships often happened with letters until two partners could meet, as urban communities are fairly new historically speaking. Often, partners would be away for a long time due to finding work, wars, the whole schpeal. Again, letters usually were communication during those times away.

Really, LDRs seem to work just as well as anything else does, but like anything else, it depends on what your needs are. It also depends on how well you can both keep up communication while apart, what agreements you can make to account for distance, and how independant both parties are.

Personally, a good half of my more serious relationships have been long distance for at least some period of time, and I've actually enjoyed a lot of the aspects of that. I like having a lot of space and time to myself. I like letter writing. I like the anticipation of the thing, I like talking for hours on the phone. I like how LDRs often seem to be great ways to nurture communication.

But there are downsides. When you're really financially chalenged, for instance, and can't call very often or can't arrange visits, it can be really hard. Sexually, for peopele who aren't reguar masturbators, if the relationship is to stay exclusive things can get tricky. And of course, you miss your partner a lot, especially if you're used to seeing them often or even daily.