best way to break up a currently long-distance relationship?

[reeners]

Hey guys, I need some advice because I want to break up with my boyfriend, but I want to do it in the least hurtful way. I care about him enough that I don't want to hurt him, and we're also best friends, but I'm just not in love with him anymore. At the moment I'm in Europe on a study abroad trip, but when I'm back home in the states he lives 2000 miles away from me. The only way we can really communicate right now is through email, facebook, and IM. When I get back home though, I'll be able to call him, but that's in about 2 weeks.

So I was just wondering what the best course of action would be? Right now we've been emailing each other back and forth pretty much everyday. I've been acting as if everything is normal when I email or IM him, so he thinks everything's peachy, even though occasionally he has some moments of doubt and insecurity and wonders if I'm cheating on him or found someone else in Europe (which I haven't).

Should I wait until I get back home and do it over the phone? Should I do it now through email? What would be the best thing to say? I've tried to break up with him twice in the past but he always manages to guilt me and talk me out of it. =( He doesn't really have too many people in his life right now, I'm one of his few close friends.

If you want the full story on why I wanna break up with him, I posted a novellette-length thread on the Love Advice Forum. I'd post a link but I'm not allowed to since I'm a new member.

Love,
reeners

[goinginsane]

hi reeners,

looks like iam trying to help you now,
first off if it was me who was gonna be ''dumped'' i would prefer the phone above mail every day because it is more personal and he can hear about your voice that its painfully for you too. and i would carefully try to tell him trough mail that you have something to tell him over the phone

and for the rest i quess be honest tell him how you feel about it, and that with al the distance and all its not going to work that you physsicle have to be with each other to make a relationship work
and that he has to accept your desicion and if you want to continu to be friends with him, you want him not to talk you in to being guilty because that would work for the both of you

i hope this is of any help to you and that it is understandeble because of my broken english
best of luck in your dificult situation

greetings benjamin

[60mm]

I vote for phone if you care. Instead of stringing him along for a couple weeks, drop a little money on a phone card and spend some time talking to him. If you already know you want it to end and you care about him, earlier the better.

[reeners]

I'm in a place where I don't really have any access to a phone. =( I appreciate the advice, I do think it would be best to do it over the phone. He's gonna be seriously devastated so I know I'm gonna need to put a lot of time aside to do this. And it sucks because every single time he emails me he says "I love you so much! I miss you! I can't wait until you get back so we can talk more!"