Try an Open Relationship At Least Once

My girlfriend told me that her friend from back home (Columbia) just got married to a guy she met online. They had been dating for 5 years, long distance. She lived in Columbia and he was from Canada, but he worked for the UN so he traveled a lot. Because of circumstances, the couple could only meet up once or twice a year – forcing them to maintain good communication through messaging services and Skype.

My favorite part of this love story isn’t the fact that they managed to last 5 years barely meeting in person – it’s that the whole thing was an open relationship, mutually agreed. Both of them saw other companions within their respective vicinities, not because they got bored of each other… But because they were bored without each other there beside them. 

If you’re thinking, ‘Oh, an open relationship. Must be some sleazy millennials who are seriously confused about what they want’ – clear that stigma. It’s honestly something that makes so much sense, but some uptight people labeled it as “unacceptable.” Long distance can be pretty brutal, but this Columbian-Canadian pair made it work; they’re happily married now, so does that not prove something? Monogamy is overrated.

I wonder if it would have been the same if they kept it strictly monogamous. It’s in our human nature to crave a little bit of lovin’ – both emotionally and physically – from time to time. She was sleeping with her colleague while he was with a local wherever he was stationed for the time being.

Isn’t it a little much to demand fidelity of someone when you’re not always around? More and more people are meeting online from different (and far-away) backgrounds. More and more people are being stationed abroad for work. More and more people should be opening up to something a little different. 

If you’re sure that you’ve met the right person, nothing will stop you from ending up together… Not even distance, not even a couple flings along the way. Now the only thing that might raise issues is if you’re the super jealous type – in that case, just don’t talk about it. No need. But I’m sure people who have experienced an open relationship could attest; you gotta try it at least once in your lifetime.