11 Activities for Long-Distance Dating and Relationshipping

Welcome to 2020, where every relationship is long-distance and every hour is a happy one if you *Truly* believe.

Whether you’re in a relationship, a situationship, a textationship, dating, mating, mingling, singling… the modern dating scene seems to morph as often as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

As someone who has been in a long-distance relationship — and I mean LONG both in miles and time (Japan to NY, 2.5 years)––I know a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t.

Disclaimer: The relationship may have ended but my optimism remains higher than ever!

If you aren’t quarantining with your honey boo boo, consider yourself lucky (!!!) and enjoy these 11 activities to help ya get through this time of social distancing.

1. Schedule video chats.
   It’s easy to say you’ll video chat but be sure to create scheduled time on your calendars to actually follow through. It’ll give you both something to look forward to and, well, if you find yourself dreading these chats then maybe that’s a red flag for ya.
2. Have theme nights.
   In addition to scheduling a time to video chat, consider planning fun themes for them too! Whether y’all decide to dress up or have a PJ party, the options are endless.
3. Play games.
   From Fibbage and Psych! to Charades and Pictionary, there are tons of cool games that can be played while video chatting. Plus, games are great if you’re running out of conversation topics and want to know if the other person is competitive, strategic, or just a plain ol’ silly goose. Just don’t play games with each other’s hearts, okay?!?
4. Send silly texts.
   Communication is KEY when you’re in a long-distance relationship… but it doesn’t have to be so serious and boring. Send your SO a link to a hilarious YouTube video or a cool song you think they’d like. And of course, memes. ALL the memes.
5. Enjoy virtual happy hours.
   Pick a drink that y’all can make together and sip, sing, swoon the night away. Try going back and forth just naming things that make you happy. I’ll start: Milkshakes! Puppies! Sunrises! The smell of fresh-cut grass!
6. Play Chopped.
   Don’t know what to make for dinner? Show your date what you’ve got in the pantry and plan an impromptu meal together with the ingredients you have. Delicious or disastrous, either way, it’s sure to be a hoot!
7. Take a break from technology.
   While video chats and texts are incredibly useful ways to stay in touch, consider sending your guy or gal a care package or a hand-written letter. Have writer’s block? Grab a piece of paper and simply write song lyrics, quotes, or draw some fun doodles to send their way! Anyone can slide into a DM… now’s the time to slide into your date’s mailbox.
8. Get Charmed.
   In a relationship but miss the *thrill* of online dating? You and your partner can download Charmed to assist your single friends in THEIR dating lives. You can upvote/downvote their matches, suggest opening lines for them, and more. It’s a fun way to Tinder, without actually being on Tinder.

www.charmed.app — A side effect of using Charmed while in a relationship may include being super grateful that you’re no longer on the dating apps but joy for having input in the dating lives of your friends.

9. Make to-do lists.
What are y’all gonna do post-quarantine? Create a simple Google Doc and you can both add something fun to it each day! What are you looking forward to doing when you’re together again? List any and all silly, sexy, crazy, cool things you can think of.

10. Separate the serious from the silly.
Less of an activity, more of a PSA. This is SO important in long-distance dating and relationships. If you have something heavy on your mind and you’re planning to video chat, be sure the other person knows what to expect out of the conversation. There’s nothing worse than expecting a casual, fun virtual hangout and being hit with topics you weren’t ready to discuss. Make time for both the deep, serious talks and the more silly, playful times.

11. Learn something together.
So much time in our relationships is spent learning about one another… but what if you took the time to learn something new together? You could learn an instrument, a craft, a language, all the countries in the world, a new recipe… there’s so much to know! Create a competition out of it and make a fun bet on what the winner/loser gets!

Are you currently in a long-distance relationship or dating from afar? What are your favorite ways to stay connected? Let me know in the comments below!