When you’re in a long-distance relationship (or LDR), gift giving can become a little more challenging.
It can be hard to make a gift feel personal or meaningful when you aren’t able to physically deliver it to your significant other in person. Luckily there are a few things you can give them this Valentine’s Day, on their birthday or for any special occasion, that will help you get through the distance.
Buy Them Dinner
This seems like an obvious one, but you can really have a lot of fun with this. My significant other and I will buy each other our favorite take-out. You can play around with this, especially when ordering something like pizza. You can often make a request under the special instructions section on your order and a lot of times, the employees will not disappoint. There is an entire tumblr blog devoted to the success of special instructions, and it is worth checking out for the hilarious results.
Eat Said Dinner Together
After the ordering should come the LED/laptop screen-lit dinner. It’s like a candlelit dinner, but the mood lighting is not as great. Regardless, spending time with your significant other is one of the best gifts you can give yourselves. It can be hard to take the time to sit down with each other on Skype and actually just focus on your relationship. The best part about those Skype dates is that they remind you of why you are with the wonderful person you are with and why you continue to power through the distance.
You Can Still Buy Lingerie
Just because you are thousands of miles apart does not mean that you have to sacrifice sex appeal. It is an important part of many relationships, and it can be fun to spice up those Skype sessions. When you spend so much time away from each other, the physical aspect of the relationship tends to drift a little bit, so especially on Valentine’s Day, it’s a great idea to get that fire going again.
Bouquets
In any relationship, sending flowers can be a sweet display of your love for your significant other. You can send real flowers or an Edible Arrangement, but if you’re looking for something less traditional, you can create your own bouquet. Write notes and fold them into designs, add some candy on stems, print off some pictures of the two of you to include, etc. You can use whatever objects you want to create a bouquet of memories for your SO.
Plane Tickets
If you have the means, this is the ideal present. Buy a couple of plane tickets and surprise your SO with a couple days of fun together. The look on his or her face will be priceless, and the time you get to actually spend together will make for a truly meaningful gift.
LDR gift giving is about finding the most thoughtful way of expressing how important your relationship is despite the challenges of distance. It can mean different things for every couple, but if you can find the time to appreciate “that special someone” every now and then, regardless of whether or not it’s Valentine’s Day, your relationship will surely thrive.
Collegian A&E Writer Aubrey Shanahan can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @aubs926.
