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My previous relationship was long distance by nature. We began chatting over IRC while playing a browser-based game, and rather quickly, flirtation led to intimate conversations. We piqued one another's curiosity, and despite limiting ourselves to textual communication, a seemingly magical connection was formed. Our relationship became highly romantic for the better part of a year until the four to five hours of conversation per day diminished to two or three, and our personality clashes, coupled with insecurity on both sides, resulted in irreversible damage. Even so, we flourished for another year before numerous issues overwhelmed us. The worst problems were the distance and our stage of life difference. She was ready to settle down, while I wasn't, and for a multitude of reasons, we were unable to physically meet.
I wound up cheating thrice on her, and neither of us could recover from the strain that placed on our relationship. Our personalities diverged, my sexual drive was utterly destroyed out of guilt, and we lost any semblance of romantic intimacy. She felt unwanted, I felt unforgiven, and we strung each other along for one additional year before she worked up the courage to leave. The distance had become too great for the dilapidated bridge we struggled to maintain.
All in all, the inability to branch into each other's offline life was devastating. The growth of our relationship was stunted, and intimacy can survive only so long over the internet. Once the intimacy vanished, the relationship itself followed suit.
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