Guest Post: Three Creative Ways to Keep an LDR Exciting

My husband (then-boyfriend) John and I had our taste of a long-distance relationship. It was a time when mobile messaging and social networking sites were unheard of (or at least we thought), and we relied heavily on snail mail for correspondence. There were days of hair-tearing uncertainty and fist-eating impatience, replaced by boundless joy when the much awaited mail or package finally came. Suffice it to say our relationship had the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging above it, but we managed to reunite, and eventually marry and start a family.

These days, technological advancements have significantly lessened the anxiety caused by long-distance relationship correspondents, and communication has become real-time and easier to do. Still, many LDR couples find themselves giving up because of misunderstanding or lack of communication. If my husband and I had the kind of communication gadgets and technology today, we would have had an easier time. Below are three of the most creative ways I have thought of doing with the Internet and technological tools:

1. Get in sync for a picnic or dinner together.

Impossible? Not with a web cam and instant messaging system. Even if you live in totally different time zones, planning a picnic or dinner within viewing distance of a cam allows for the miles between you to virtually melt away. Block off a date and time, and plan around the event just as you would a real live meeting. Dress up if you like. It makes for a nice change from all the times that you chat casually on cam while eating and typing (with greasy fingers, most likely!).  Set the table or picnic blanket with elegant dinnerware and converse as you dine.

2. Send care packages just because.

While it’s nice to send out gifts during special occasions, spicing up an LDR sometimes means sending out surprise care packages for no real reason other than to make your significant other happy. You can go with themes for each package, such as Date, Anniversary, etc. Then select certain objects that can go in the package to remind them of that theme. For instance, a date care package can contain long stemmed roses, elegant dinnerware and table napkins, a bottle of wine, and a box of chocolates. Be as creative as you can, and it’s bound to be sweetly rewarded.

3. Make musical compilations to tell the story of your relationship.

Songs have a way of telling our stories for us, so get creative on the mix CDs and MP3 compilations. It could be biographical (a musical set-list that describes your partner) or about where you see your relationship going. It could be about longing, and being hopeful. It could be about anything you feel. There are so many songs whose words you can use to tell your feelings, so start making lists and compilations for your faraway loved ones.  

This guest blog post was written by Kristen Swope, a proud WAHM (work at home mom) to five year-old Isabel, and a loving wife to John. She has withstood the tests of a long- distance relationship and ended up marrying the man of her dreams. They now live in Fremont in a house with a kidney-shaped swimming pool.