Long-distance relationships can be challenging, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep the romance alive. In fact, the distance can create opportunities for creative and meaningful gestures that show your partner how much you care.
Whether it’s your anniversary or just a regular day, surprising your long-distance partner can strengthen your bond and bring you closer together even when you’re apart. Let’s explore 14 romantic things you can do for your long-distance partner, from virtual date ideas to heartfelt gifts that will make them feel loved and cherished.
Read more: 11 Must-Have Apps for Long Distance Couples
Plan your future together
Half of the fun of a relationship is the anticipation – and for long-distance couples, there’s a lot of anticipation to go around! Making a solid plan around the awesome things you’re going to get up to when you meet back up is a great way to relieve some of that tension and show your partner how much you care about them at the same time.
Here are a few places to get you started.
- Plan virtual date nights. Put together a menu you’ll cook together, cocktails you’ll try together, activities that you can follow when you next see each other. By doing all the planning for your next date night – whether that’s a virtual long-distance date night or one in person – you’re instantly giving your partner something to look forward to without them having to lift a finger.
- Plan a surprise visit. Come on, you know you want to! You might have to be careful and ever-so-subtle to find the right time without giving the game away, but a surprise visit from the person your partner loves most is guaranteed to put a smile on their – and your – face. Try using a synced calendar app like Cupla to check on your timing options.
- Plan future trips. Plan future trips together, and discuss all the fun things you will do and see. This can be a great way to create excitement and anticipation for the future.
Send a surprise gift
If there’s one thing better than getting a gift, it’s getting a gift that’s a surprise. When you’re in a long-distance relationship, it can be challenging to connect with your partner – particularly if you’re in different timezones.
One of the best ways to show your partner that you’re thinking about them is to send a surprise gift, especially if you know your partner’s Love Language is gift giving. While what you send will be entirely personal to you and your partner, here are a few places you can get started:
- Care package. Send your love a care package stuffed with their favorite snacks, a handwritten note, and other items that remind them of you. If you’re going with food, make sure you stick with dry goods and non-perishables.
- Flowers. Flowers are always a winner for a reason! Send a bouquet of flowers to their home or, for big brownie points, to the office (everybody loves to show off their partner’s love <3). Florists local to your partner are best!
- Love letters. There’s something so special about getting an actual letter in an actual envelope with an actual stamp. Write up something super cheesy, add a little gift or a photo, and send a letter through old-fashioned snail mail. We guarantee it’ll be a welcome surprise in the mailbox.
- Favorite take-out or meal. At the end of a long, hard day, the last thing that most people want to do is cook dinner. Since you can’t cook for them yourself, order some food from a local restaurant and send it their way in your stead.
- Personalized book. For the crafty types out there! Make a scrapbook filled with pictures and messages for your partner, telling your own personal love story, and send it through a courier. If you aren’t artistically inclined or can’t send a physical item so far, there are plenty of services online that will let you digitally design a book and they’ll sort printing it and getting it to your partner.
- Custom puzzle. Now here’s a double surprise. Find a retailer with customisation options and have a puzzle made of a picture of the two of you together. Send it in a blank box and let your partner enjoy the first surprise of a mystery package, and the second surprise of figuring out what the puzzle is picturing!
- Racy calendar. Long-distance is hard for a lot of reasons, and for some couples, physical intimacy is the toughest bit. Put a cheeky smile (you know the one) on your partner’s face every month by starring in your own racy calendar and sending it in the mail. Don’t want to do a whole month’s worth of photos? Pin-up style posters are a great one-off choice that will achieve the same effect 😉
Share or relive a moment
It’s the little moments in a relationship that are often the most memorable ones. When you’re long distance, it’s tough to find ways to share a romantic night or relive one through reminiscing. But with a little creativity (and some planning), there are ways to send a spark no matter how far away you are from each other. Try one (or all!) of these.
- Watch the sunset/sunrise together. Use video chat to watch the sunset or sunrise together, and share the moment with your partner. This is especially great if you live in different timezones – sunrise for one person could be sunset for the other. It’s super cute to know that you’re both looking at the same sun at the same time.
- Make a romantic video montage. Create a video montage of all your special moments together, set to your favorite love song. It’ll be a reminder to your partner (and you!) of all the awesome things waiting for you when you get back together.
- Create a playlist. Make a playlist of songs that remind you of your partner, and share it with them. Spotify is a great option for this, though an “old-fashioned” mixtape can provide a personal touch. Want to really go all-out? Hire a musician to play a song that’s special to both of you in-person with your partner.
- Create a virtual scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts can be just as fun over long distances! Just jump on a zoom call and challenge each other to find something around the house that fits certain criteria. Try using some of the date night challenges here to get started.
Looking for more ways to connect with your partner over long distance? Cupla is the shared calendar app designed exclusively for couples, providing a fast, easy way to organize date nights even over multiple time zones. Simply add your calendars and Cupla automatically finds the best date night times for both of you. Trial Cupla for free now on iOS and Android.
