Every year, the month of love comes galloping in like a white horse in an open field — aesthetically pretty, but still a wild animal. While Valentine’s Day has many of us anticipating roses, chocolates, and Shakespearean sonnets, others may be miles away from their partner. And, just as wet clothing clings to the body, pressure attaches itself onto this red (and if you’re into pink) affair. The question is, why? Well, our theory is that many people consider Valentine’s Day the ‘do or die’ day of romantic gestures. But, you truly can choose to be romantic any other day(s) of the year. And, when you apply consistency, it could mean just as much!
Every romantic relationship requires mutual effort to keep the flame from going out. However, long distance relationships are certainly in a league of their own. If you’re looking for romantic ideas for a long distance relationship, you’ll be happy to know that this is our chosen theme for the month of love. And, as long distance romantic gifting experts, we want to provide you with sweet (and affordable!) romantic ideas and tips for this year and beyond.
Don’t Get Us Wrong, We Love Valentine’s Day!
Essentially, the title was just to get your attention. But, don’t feel deceived just yet. While Valentine’s Day is one of our favorite occasions of the year, it often carries the same commercalized pretentiousness as any other consumer holiday. Instead of consistently practicing small and meaningful gestures, we’re convinced that we can bunch everything together into one day and call it romance. And, while grand gestures and spoils can make us feel special, we believe it is the small things that truly add value to a relationship.
The “pressure” that many people feel during this time may reflect their lack of consistently showing loved ones their appreciation. But, when you make a habit of spoiling those you love, Valentine’s Day won’t feel like a white horse. It’ll be something more manageable and familiar – a house cat sleeping on a couch if you will. That being said, this doesn’t mean that you can’t use Valentine’s Day to as your starting point. And, if you don’t know where to start, that’s where our romantic ideas for a long distance relationship come in!
Romantic Ideas for a Long Distance Relationship: For Bae Who’s Far Away
It’s common knowledge that long distance relationships are not for the faint of heart. When you can’t spend time with your partner physically, it may create a unique set of challenges for every couple. But, there are special and intimate ways to bridge the gap, we promise! In fact, here is a simple list we’ve curated to help you do just that:
Flowers, Flowers, Flowers
We tried to make this article as non-cliché as possible. But, hey, when it comes to love, clichés are somewhat unavoidable. Although there are a number of new and innovative ways to make them feel special (which we’ll get to in a moment), flowers are a timeless gesture. If you wish to express a sort of thoughtfulness that is unmatched, get into the habit of sending them flowers.
Plan a Virtual Movie Night (or Any Other Virtual Date)
Queue in Netflix Party extension! This romantic date idea is one that doesn’t require a lot of planning and it can be done for special occasions (like Valentine’s Day) or just to spend time with them. It could also end up being one of your favorite things to do together! And, thanks to Netflix’s plan for world domination, you no longer have to Zoom call or text each other your reactions. If you’re not big movie watchers, there are many other virtual date ideas to consider. Just make sure it’s an activity you both enjoy.
Send Them a Thoughtful Message
Life gets busy, and some of us are just really bad texters. But, good communication is vital to maintaining any kind of relationship. When you can’t see your partner every day, reminding them of how you feel about them becomes more important than ever before. And, while living in different time zones may make this more challenging, it also makes your efforts that much more meaningful!
Send Them a Gift When you Can
Romantic gestures look differently for everyone. But, if they enjoy receiving gifts, it’s important to show them your love in this way. Of course, sending gifts can become a bit costly and it’s not something we can all afford to do every week or even every month. But, budget gifts can be just as thoughtful! Tell us your budget and the kind of gift your looking for and we’ll send you a range of ideal gift options.
Why Celebrating Valentine’s Day Will Strengthen Your Long Distance Relationship
Tina Turner once sang, “What’s love got to do, got to do with it?”, and we can’t think of anything that better sums up modern society’s attitude towards Valentine’s Day. At least, not lyrically. It is a tradition that dates all the way back to Roman times, but has now been reshaped into a consumer holiday that often has us rolling our eyes. However, there is value in celebrating this day, for many different reasons.
Gift-giving is humanity’s universal behaviour. It is a form of reciprocity that helps build relationships. And, this can get lost in the shallowness of exchanging material objects. But, what we give or receive is not the goal of gift-giving. What really matters is the action and the relationship you wish to nurture through this action. So, when a partner feels neglected for not receiving a gift on Valentine’s Day, for example, it’s important to consider that the meaning is much deeper for them.
There is a science behind gift-giving. It isn’t simply a manifestation of modern consumerism, but rather a manifestation of humans looking for and maintaining connections. This is vital in all relationships, but especially long distance relationships. And, that’s why we believe that Valentine’s Day is a great starting point for consistently showing your partner love.
Thank you for reading our blog on Romantic Ideas for a Long Distance Relationship, but don’t go just yet!
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Alex is a hopeless romantic who was supposed to be born in Italy (her dream destination), but proud to be South African nonetheless. She lives by her heart, and, consequentially, leaves a little bit of herself in everything she writes. She wholeheartedly believes that mermaids (and fairies) exist and is deathly afraid of the age ’30’.