Current Relationship Status, Pandemic Consequences, and Good Practices

The penultimate chapter adds an applied and longitudinal perspective, not an attempt to present “happy endings” or “sad partings,” but a real-life follow-up survey conducted four years after the original interviews. It also explores the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the LATT couples. How most LATT couples have survived the pandemic, through slowing down, enhanced intimacy leading to a sense of security, creating interconnections along with anxiety and worry about the work-related demands, and extended family in far-off countries. The chapter also captures how the pandemic led to “parting ways” after a period of not meeting face-to-face due to the travel restrictions. Lastly, the focus is on the applied aspects for navigating the complexities of distance and intimacy, the “good practices” interpreted from the participants’ narratives, such as planning the next meeting, ritualistic practices, sharing activities online, the significance of an “endgame” of suitable jobs for both partners and living together.