Long distance relationships can be challenging. They usually require a little more work to keep the fun and intimacy going. However, it’s not impossible. With a little work and creativity, you can create experiences that will grow your relationship and build memories that last. Virtual dates are a great way to have fun and show your partner how much you love and care for them.
Here are some ideas:
- Explore and prepare a new dish together.
Cooking can be a very intimate and fun experience. I always recommend clients to find a recipe they both would enjoy cooking and doing it together. You not only are doing something fun together but you can compare results and enjoy the eating afterwards!
- Share a new entertainment experience.
You could watch a movie or show together that you’ve always been wanting to watch. If you want to take it up a notch, you can find lots of fun virtual entertainment that doesn’t require you to be physically together. For example, I have a friend who actually does virtual magic shows through airbnb experiences. They are super fun, his work is amazing, and really catered to people who are watching online. It’s a good way to have an up close experience with magic that will have the two of you talking about it for a long time afterwards.
- Learn something new together.
Learning something new together is a bonding experience. There are so many online classes available now, it is so easy to hop online to learn how to crochet, make drinks, you name it. I know one couple who is trying to learn a new language together. There are so many amazing online platforms like this one where you can hire a language tutor for as little as $5 for an online lesson. It’s a great way to connect, especially if the two of you can plan to make a trip to a new country and learn the language together!
- Get artsy together.
There are so many different ways to express creativity together. You can use youtube to find free lessons on how to do virtually anything. For example, you can paint a picture together, knit a scarf, build a birdhouse, you name it! There are youtube videos to make anything you’d ever want to create. There are even kits on amazon that help you create jewelry, soap or candles, that you could both do together.
- Express your love through writing.
Some people love expressing themselves on paper. I once worked with a long distance couple who once wrote a story together. One person would write one portion and the other would continue it. You could also write poetry, or if you are musically inclined, a song! You could finish up the night reading your finished creations together. Or singing the song you wrote!
- Get smarter together.
Find a topic that the both of you are interested in. Maybe it’s about successful relationships, or building financial security. Or maybe it’s just a book by the latest fiction author that you’ve both been dying to read. You can read it together and discuss it, you can have one person read it out loud to the other and take turns, or you can read it on your own time and just talk about it together.
- Get your bodies moving together.
I’m talking about exercise! You could take a hike together while talking. You could do an online exercise class. Whether it’s CrossFit, yoga, or hip hop dance, it is sure to bring you closer, and help you feel good and healthier too!
Conclusion:
Long distance relationships take work, but they are totally doable. You can still create intimate and fun moments from afar. With a little bit of planning and effort, you can build your relationship from anywhere in the world. You can also build memories that last a lifetime.
About the author: Lia Huynh is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has helped many long distance couples through the issues that arise in dating from afar. She loves helping long distance couples thrive no matter where they are, through deepening intimacy, giving tools for communicating, and building trust. You can learn more about her services here.
