IA is far from VA -- but, say, Russia is even farther! So be grateful that she's this close and it's easy to ring her up; and even for the two of you to get together every now and then (after much ringing up and emailing) to see if the spark is still there.
You know what really makes things great -- if you have something in common that you're passionate about, such as a sport or other hobby; a particular art form; a desire to visit a certain part of the world... This is a great glue.