A long-distance relationship, bound as a book

Why the chat is the story

When you can't share a room, you share a thread. Good morning on one side is good night on the other. Photos stand in for being there. A countdown to the next visit runs for weeks. Printed in order, those messages read like the record of how you stayed close.

Ideas for the book

• The distance, start to finish. Set the dates from the day one of you moved to the day you were in the same city again.
• The best moments. For years apart, the best moments edition keeps the warm, funny and grateful messages and the photos.
• A title only you two understand. The time difference, the airport code, the name of the video call you never missed.

The numbers page

Each book opens with your story in numbers: how many messages each of you sent, how many days you talked, the busiest day, your favorite emoji, and how many times you said “love you”. For a long-distance couple, the days-you-talked number tends to be most of them.

Start by exporting the chat with its photos.