Alex Jantz smiles in appreciation as her best friend’s face watches from the other side of the screen. To celebrate Jantz’ birthday her friend Kylie Enders made Jantz wait to open her gift over a Skype video chat so she could watch her reaction.

Jantz and Enders only see each other every six months because of the distance between the two. Jantz visits her friend in Ohio during the summer while Enders visits Jantz in the winter.

“The hardest part is that we don’t get to see each other everyday,” Jantz said.”It’s kind of more gratifying because we cherish the time we have together.”

In 2007 Jantz met Enders on vacation at Iberostar Parizo del Mar in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
Although the Jantz family went on the vacation with another family, when Alex was introduced to Enders her friendship with the girl she originally came with ended.

“We started to hanging out and we just clicked,” Jantz said. “I was upset about it in the beginning because she was my friend for eight years but I got over it because Kylie seemed to be a better friend,” Jantz said.

Jantz believes that she gets along with Enders so well because they both act like the same person. If either of the girls have problems they talk to each other for moral support.

“We get each other and there is this bond like we are sisters,” Jantz said,“ It feels like we have known each other for forever.”

Sophomore Sarah Mussleman has a similar situation. Her brother, Joe Mussleman, attends college in Des Moines, Iowa at Grand View University. Mussleman does not like the long distance between them, but enjoys visiting him and attending his school’s football games, talking to him over the phone and when he visits to watch her swim meets.

“Even though we fight sometimes I miss seeing him but it is also kind of a good thing because he’s not here to be so protective,” Mussleman said. “He is really good to talk to about school and stuff so I miss that.”

40 percent of long distance relationships typically end in failure, the average lasting about 14 months.

“They say long distance relationships don’t work, that’s a lie,” Jantz said. “Maybe not if you are in a boy-girl relationship but a friendship will work.”