Is your long distance relationship thriving…or just surviving? Are you madly in love with someone but cannot find a way to live in the same city? How do you support your relationship when you have very real physical distance between you?

I have seen couples fall apart because they could not sustain their relationship due to the distance between them, and I have seen others who find creative, romantic ways to keep the love alive. I know people who had a long distance relationship for years, complained about it, and finally got together in the same city, only to break up months after they lived near each other. Some people have long distance relationships and like it that way. And some couples don’t like the distance at all, but manage to still stay close.

How do they do that? Here are some of the challenges that exist when you have an out-of-town romance, and what you can do about it:

* Commitment

If you have just met, take care to spend enough time to truly know each other before you get in a committed relationship. There is no substitute for face-to-face communication. You need to meet each other’s friends, family, and co-workers. You need to experience good times and stressful ones together. Once you do, decide what your expectations are for your relationship. Be open and honest. How much commitment are you willing to give each other? This clarity is important to minimize misunderstanding.

* Trust

Once you can determine if you are both on the same level of investment in the relationship, trust and honesty become paramount to the success of your future. These elements are at the heart of all lasting unions, but distance challenges the security of your connection.

* Communication

Be dedicated to the way you stay in touch. Phone calls, emails, and chatting on-line are important. Set up a regular time to visit with each other, building a routine. But add some surprises such as, homemade videos, collected poems put in a special book, or self-decorated greeting cards. Stretch your imagination further with a lock of your hair in a unique box; an absorbent piece of cloth with your perfume or after-shave scent; your favorite flower, pressed and framed. If the other person does not call often, make time for you, or send appropriate communications, do not hang on. Let go and get on with your life.

* Plan your reunions.

Decide where to meet, how often, and how you want to spend the time when you see each other. Be very clear about what your expectations are for the time you have together. This is where many relationships break down. His idea of the perfect weekend could be sitting in front of the TV with her at his side, watching football. Hers could be visiting friends, attending a romantic movie, and later sharing secrets of the heart. He may expect her to cook his dinner; she may expect him to take her out. We all have old scripts that play out in new relationships, and unless we communicate what we want from each other, this is a recipe for misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

Finally, decide how long you want to live apart, and set a date for the move. It is true that when one of you moves to the other one’s town, you are taking a risk. However, most people say that even when it doesn’t work out, at least they gave love a chance. They didn’t want to spend their life longing to be somewhere else, continuing–a long distance relationship.

Visit http://www.tonjaweimer.com or http://www.singlesdatingtips.com for more tips, skills, and insight on dating, relationships, singles, and love. Subscribe to our F*ree Savvy Dating Newsletter from master single’s coach, life coach, and syndicated columnist, Tonja Weimer. Copyright 2006, Tonja Weimer. (Please note source if reprinting this article.)

There is no question that animal electrocution, juvenile seal clubbing, and other forms of animal slaughter for the sake of fur garments represent some of the most depraved acts ever envisioned by the human mind. At the same time, many animal rights activists also feel that commercial farming for the sake of meat also includes a number of inhumane and hostile activities against animals. Therefore, you might be surprised to learn that there is Earth friendly women’s leather clothing available. Irregardless of whether you are looking for a jacket with large cargo pockets, or a leather skirt, you should be able to find a garment that has a limited impact on a wide range of natural resources.

In particular, it is crucial to realize that most leathers come from animals that were raised primarily for meat. As people become more aware of the fact that meat based protein starvation can cause everything from edema to depression, more will look for organically raised meat products. Therefore, you will find that there will be an increasing number of opportunities to purchase leather clothing that is environmentally acceptable.

If you cannot find leather jacket, pant, or accessory suppliers that work with environmentally responsible farmers, you may want to consider some other options. Among other things, you may want to look into obtaining deerskin. In particular, once the summer is past, many private hunters are given permits to take a certain number of deer. Therefore, if you are a hunter, or know of someone that is, you may be able to pick up a suitable animal hide for tanning purposes.

Chances are, if you visit your local department stores, you will find all kinds of imitation leather products. While these garments and accessories were not made from animal skins, they were most likely made from plastic, vinyl, and other petroleum based products. Without a question, these products may be a hazard to human health on top of wreaking all kinds of environmental mayhem.

Irregardless of how environmentally friendly a product may be, it still requires some destruction of natural elements, as well as be shipped from one location to another. Therefore, when looking for green products, it is important to consider durability. Without a question, leather will outlast almost every plant based or synthetic fabric on the market. As a result, even if you order Tianello leather fashions from a catalog, you may be well be doing something that is less damaging to the environment.

There is no question that everyone can do more to reduce personal impact on this planet. That said, each person still needs to be able to live and enjoy good health. While many animal rights advocates claim that women’s leather clothing causes harm to the environment, they may need to rethink some of their statistics. Among other things, when you evaluate the potential to help promote free range farming, as well as reduce other environmental stresses, leather clothes may be the best choice you can make.

For more information about the fashion benefits of Women’s Leather Clothing, visit http://www.womensleatherclothingonline.com