Candice Swanepoel thinks it is "important" to be apart from her boyfriend.
The Victoria's Secret beauty has been dating Brazilian model Hermann Nicoli for 10 years and says the constant travelling with their respective careers is key to the success of their relationship.
She explained: "That's [being apart] what keeps it going. No, seriously, it's important to travel and be apart and miss each other.
"In the beginning it was long-distance and when you long for something so much, I think it's a good thing."
The South African model is keen to settle down and have children one day, but isn't sure she needs to go through the formality of marriage to prove her commitment to Hermann.
She said: "I would love to have children. I'm not sure about marriage yet. I kind of feel married already. 10 years is kind of a marriage, so I don't really need papers to tell me that."
Candice was already dating Hermann when she was scouted by Victoria's Secret and she thinks it would have been much harder embarking on a new relationship now.
She told HELLO!'s Fashion Monthly magazine: "It helps because we've grown together over the years. He's helped me a lot through all the experiences and been a rock in my life.
"It's hard... If I was to meet somebody [now] it'd be hard for them to understand all the things I've gone through and he's been through that from the beginning."