been there, done that, and wouldn't recommend it for anyone else. that being said, i wouldn't change what i've done- i gained one of the best friends i've ever had out of the experience, although we're no longer dating. we had a very serious relationship, dated for 4 years, and it was ultimately worth the stress and the hard work as we're still very close, but i would never recommend a similar course of action for anyone else- you have no make your own decisions when it comes to something this serious. not to be dramatic, but you really don't have any idea how hard it is seeing the person you're committed to a couple times a month. there's an immense amount of trust there that you have to be comfortable with or shit WILL hit the fan. i've seen many long-distance relationships fail terribly and consider myself very fortunate to still have such a good friend at the end of it.