You should try talking with her about your needs before you actually do anything. Your needs are perfectly normal, and many people live happily in all sorts of arrangements. You can love your partner and still want to have sex with other people. But you should give her an opportunity to show love and understanding before you go behind her back. Use this as an opportunity to increase depth, honesty and love in your relationship.

Thank you so much for replying.
I've talked to her about how difficult our long distance relationship is. We both understand that we're busy and don't have time to chat.
As for the sexual part... I've asked her if she wanted to have "cyber sex/sext" through Skype or something, but she's uncomfortable with it. I respect that, I'm not going to egg her on to strip for my satisfaction. She's very conservative and I can't bring myself to talk about an open relationship. I'm scared our relationship will end if I talk openly about this sort of thing with her.
I'm so stupid for wanting to cheat on my girlfriend. I feel like shit for wanting to do something that'll clearly hurt her, but my mind is so preoccupied with sex and has been for the past week.

If you're preoccupied with sex now, think about how preoccupied you'll be with the guilt of cheating once the two of you are back in the same city.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your urges, but look at it this way: if you talk to her now about opening up the relationship (or breaking up till she's back in town), you're doing the tough part now for the good of the relationship. If you cheat now, you're saving the tough stuff for later -- guilt, possibly slipping up and revealing what happened or her finding out somehow, her becoming livid with you and dumping you, and so forth.

Don't be a shitty person. If you're going to cheat on her well.. don't. Break up with her because that's not fair. If you really loved her you wouldn't even think twice about cheating. Do yourself and mostly her a favour by breaking it off. Don't waste her time by dragging her there at Christmas to your cheating ass.

I spent two years in a different province than my girlfriend, so I understand the repression you are feeling. For me though it wasn't just the sex I missed. I missed having the partner I could share my thoughts with, share a laugh, debate an issue. Since we both had two very different lives a lot of that got lost in long distance. Suddenly the woman I was working with, and who I was now sharing more with than my girlfriend, started looking really good to my hungry eyes. I developed a crush. I talked to my girlfriend about the issues, she broke up with me, I used the opportunity to get the sex with someone else out of my system, and eventually we got back together.

Is there an end to this situation in sight?...and now I'm not just talking about Christmas ...beyond...do you have a plan to be geographically closer, cause it doesn't sound like she is keen to close the gap virtually...obviously physical intimacy is important to you. So if she's not open to sexting, Skyping, etc. you've gotta wonder about compatibility... I'm also concerned about the the threat you feel to be open and honest - HUGE red flag FLASHING LIGHT... take it from someone who has been there...life is hard when you are not living the life you want to be down the road, in fact some would say that depression happens when you are not living the life you want.

She might be open to it... even if it is just you having sex online with someone else. I think it is really good that you tried to communicate more about it and that you should try again maybe one more time. Say how important it is for you to have a sexual connection with someone and that it is putting a strain on the relationship for you. Ask her if she has any idea's that might help, like maybe she can visit more often, or vice versa, or some other ideas. You need to brain storm and ask her to open the relationship because then you have tried every option before going against her wishes. Then I would say if none of that works, like she is closed off to sexting, video sex, phone sex, coming to see you or you seeing her is not possible, she won't open the relationship etc. you have two options. Break up or cheat. If you cheat make sure that you have safe sex and get tested after so that your decision doesn't have any negative consequences physically for her. If you cheat be really careful not to get caught and if you want to stay with your gf, have one night stands rather than fwb. Fwb seem like a good idea but often create drama in one way or another. Don't be a scumbag, try every other option first and then be clean and discreet if you have to cheat.

Cheating is the most selfish and cowardly thing you can do in a relationship. You are taking away her right to make the best, most informed decision for herself. You are also being unfair in that only you get to have sex with other people. Let her decide if she wants an open relationship or if she'd rather break up. Don't make that decision for her.

DTMFA

If she's that conservative and sex is so important to you then I really don't understand why you got into a relationship with her in the first place. Your needs are understandable but you are at a distance so something needs to happen to compensate for the lack of physical connection. I've been in a long distance relationship before and I can state for fact that this is absolutely doable. It's not the same but it works until you can see each other, and if you really love someone, you will make it work. However there is a bigger issue at play here because you both don't seem to have the time to connect and let me tell you, constant communication is more important than ever in LDR's because you can't communicate your feelings with a touch, hug or kiss. That means you *have* to make the time, whatever it takes, whatever sleep you have to sometimes sacrifice. Emotional connection is great but sex is also part of a relationship and therefore is important. If you don't want to talk about your issues openly then you must break it off with her. Cheating is not the answer. She doesn't deserve that. If you want to keep the relationship your choices are deal with the guilt of cheating and knowing that you are a terrible person for unfairly hurting her, or be brave and communicate your issues. She can't help fix how you're feeling if you don't tell her what you're feeling. And if she's not willing to try then things may have to end, though probably for the best.