5 Hacks for Long Distance Love

If you’ve ever dated online or had a partner who travels frequently, you know how challenging the time apart can feel for both parties. The urgent desire to reunite lingers daily, no matter how often texts and pictures are exchanged to ease the pain of distance. Everyone involved in a relationship that forces them to deal with separation understands the need to be emotionally strong, but nothing replaces the feeling of your partner right beside you. So, what do you do to feel more “together” without being together?

Video chatting is a great way to be face to face with a loved one, but with the pandemic, Zoom might feel a little more like Doom with all of the virtual meetings, working from home, or helping your children with homework so the teacher can help another student. We’re going to skip the video chats, which are an obvious answer, and get a little more creative about how to bond with your long distance lover.

Making Your Long Distance Relationship Feel Closer

1. Long distance movie/TV show dates at home: If you both have access to the numerous streaming services available, choose a show or movie you love or something new you’d like to experience together (the latter is more fun, in personal experience.) Both of you will simply load up the same show or move and decide when to hit “play” together. The sounds may be off by a second or two, but you’ll be watching and commenting on events and characters together...just like you would in person. I like this method of bonding because it is a personal experience that will create fun memories later on, when long distance is no longer required. (Bonus: If you and your partner love to read, choose a book to read together!)

2. Themed care packages: Although many long distance couples have a budget to work with, finding small knick-knacks and things that remind you of the other person are a great way to surprise your partner with your thoughtfulness. As an example: when my partner and I lived 1,100 miles apart, he once sent me a package called, “Keep Cool.” Summertime was approaching, so he sent a small handheld fan, ice packs, sunscreen, and a little bracelet to make me “look” cool. It was creative, and the extent of following a theme made me feel very cared about. My partner ensured I had themed items that would be useful for my surrounding climate, with the small addition of jewelry.

3. Make your own (terrible) memes for each other: This works especially well for differing time zones. There are plenty of websites out there that allow you to customize and make your own terrible memes, and something my partner and I tried through the long distance period was making special memes. They could include inside jokes or be completely romantic, or make no sense whatsoever besides having a photo of a celebrity we’ve enjoyed or made fun of. The sky’s the limit, and imagine the chuckle your partner will get when they get on social media to see what ridiculousness you’ve shared next. For social media that gives us memories, they’re even better when they show up again a year later. Many laughs can be had through this long distance hack, and laughing is so good for your heart.

4. Fast food dates by phone: Craving a date night out with your love? Well, you’re too far apart, so why not choose the same place to eat that both of your locations offer? Plan a time for both of you to hit the drive-thru, park your cars, put each other on speakerphone, and have a fast food dinner date. You can comment on surroundings in town, describe things your partner may have never seen before, discuss your cities and the differences between them, all while enjoying a meal you essentially bought together. It’s been years since we were able to enjoy this, but we still talk about our fast food dates as fond memories.

5. Work on a playlist together: Music has an impact on everyone, and each of us tends to find music that relates to the person we’ve fallen in love with (bonus points if you and your partner have similar music taste!) For this long distance relationship hack, all you need is time and your music app of choice opened up. You and your partner take turns creating a playlist of music that you listen to when you miss the other one. The playlist should be alternating songs: your song, their song, your song, etc. That way when both of you reference the playlist in times of need, you can remember the conversations had as the playlist was built and feel a little closer to your love as you listen to music you know your partner said was written for you.

When you’re in love, you feel the power of your partner’s affections for you no matter how far apart you are from them. When you need something to make you feel a little closer, all of these suggestions are great ways of experiencing a bond so you can make unique memories even when there are hundreds (or even thousands) of miles between you. From experiencing new shows and movies together to building a soundtrack of your affections, the experiences will heighten the intimacy aspect by simply being things to do besides looking at one another on a small screen. No matter what you choose to do, though, choose it with your heart. That’s the best organ to use in this situation.