Long distance relationships are hard, but they’re not impossible. It can feel like you’ve gotten the short straw–you’ve traipsed around the world and somewhere on your travels you found the man of your dreams. Yay!
Only downside is, he lives somewhere between here and the other side of the earth.
Long distance relationships can be a bit nerve wracking, especially when trying to explain your emotion driven reasoning to friends and family. Questions like, “how do you go on dates”, “what’s the fun in that”, or “why are you putting yourself through this” come up, and naturally, you might begin asking yourself those same questions.
But fear not: long distance relationships are difficult, but there’s hope!
With the advancement of technology and the convenience of travel, long distance relationships have become a bit easier to deal with. Couples all over the world are doing it everyday, maintaining their passion for each other, and eventually turning their long distance relationship into something more.
But when he’s not visiting you, you’re not visiting him, and you’re not meeting half-way, surviving a long distance relationship takes proper planning and improvising new ways of showing your affections.
Here are five creative ways for you and your loved one to keep the love alive in a long distance relationship.
5 Ways to Make a Long Distance Relationship Work
1.) Snail Mail
Emails, instant messages, Facebook, and Twitter are all easy and instant ways to keep in touch. But sending something by mail takes a bit more time, care, and thought and makes a person feel special when that love letter or special gift arrives in the mail. It also requires you to think carefully about what tender message you want to convey.
A great project to keep your distant lover close is to make cards by hand. Spice things up if they live close enough by sending homemade baked goods!
Because nothing feels better than coming home after a stressful day and getting a surprise in your mailbox. With any love letters or postcards you receive, keep a special keepsake box, and go through those memories together when you and your partner have reunited.
2.) Go to the Movies
See a movie together. Well, not necessarily together. Watch a movie on the same day and set up a Skype date to exchange thoughts on the movie you’ve both just enjoyed. Crank it up a notch and watch videos together simultaneously with Synchtube. Synchtube is a service that allows you set up an online room where others can join and watch Youtube videos with you.
There is even a chat function on the side of the screen allowing you and your loved one to chat live without interrupting the quality of the video. Besides, we all know that watching funny videos of cats is more fun with others.
3.) Use Free Texting Apps
There are so many everyday events that we feel the impulse to share. Sharing these with a loved one can bring the two of you closer as you celebrate, laugh, and even debate with one another. Texting is easy if you live in the same country as you partner, but if your love lives in another country, international fees will add up and cost a fortune. Luckily, if both of you have smart phones, there are free texting apps that allow for instant sharing of loving messages, videos, and even pictures!
In addition, if you want to spice things up in your texting game, you can trust Love dignity.
4.) Schedule a Play Date
Unwind after work by playing a game with your distant partner. Thanks to the Internet, playing together has never been so easy. Gaming can be as simple as playing chess together online or it can be a more involved game such as Second Life or World of Warcraft. Having a set play date gives each of you something to look forward to and will make waiting for your reunion a little easier.
5.) Skype
Probably the most important tool of all in a long distance relationship is Skype. Skype allows you to video chat with anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Speaking with your partner while seeing them shortens the physical gap that has formed between you. Skype is also a free service so there will be no using up minutes, no long distance calls, and no international fees!
3 Comments
Great article.
I have been in a long distance relationship for almost a year ago. We met in England (he’s from there) in May. It’s been hard, but we are working on every three months or when possible. We skype everyday and we do movie dates on skype once a week. It’s difficult, b/c we have learned that England itunes rentals are not the same versions as US itunes rentals. We have more film than they do. We have been scouting out new online places to go, but it’s not been easy. I’m going to mention this synchtube to him.
We send eachother cards, postcards, and packages as much as we can. I sent him Hershey kisses for V-day, but he didn’t really like them compared to Cadbury.
Even though it’s hard, we make it work. Skype is helpful.
Also, the best advice is to be completely honest about everything. We often get in to stupid fights over a misunderstanding via email. So, we have to talk about things. Take pictures of anything that you see or do and send to that person so they think that they are a part of your life.
Don’t worry! You’re not alone in the world of long distance relationships. This article was inspired by my own relationship with my German boyfriend. We’ve been together for two years now, and it gets tricky to see each other often. But here is a cool and real statistic I found regarding this subject. I think it will make things a bit easier for you:
“According to statistics provided by The Center for the Study of Long Distance Relationships, 37% of long distance couples split up in the first 3 months of a relationship compared to 21% of traditional (proximal) relationships. However, if a long distance relationship can last the first year, only 8% break up after the first year compared to 25% of traditional relationships. This shows that long distance relationships have the potential to survive longer if a couple can make it through the first few months.”
Ugh, long distance relationships. They’re so hard! My boyfriend and I did long distance when I was backpacking through South America, but we knew exactly when I was coming home so that made it easier. It’s tough, but I know a lot of people who’ve made it work!