It goes without saying that long distance relationships make it difficult to stay in touch with your partner. Because you find yourselves separated by distance, you are not afforded the luxury of being able to easily and frequently go on dates together, greet each other with a kiss, or spend quality face to face time. So how exactly do you keep the romance and the relationship alive in a long distance relationship?

Let us explore the difficulties of long distance relationships “LDR ” and offer advice on how often you should meet up with your long distance partner. We will also offer up some creative ideas on how to keep the relationship alive despite the long distance.

Long Distance Dating and How Often Should You Meet Up With Your Long Distance Partner

Frequent communication with each other goes a long way in feeding the relationship but you may be surprised just how many creative ways there are to express your feelings towards your partner besides simply resorting to phone calls, texts, and emails. Exchanging words is of course one of the best ways you can learn and grow as a couple, but there are plenty of actions and gestures you can implement in place of going on dates.

Of course there are times when you will want to actually meet up to keep your bond strong. Because actually meeting your long distance partner may happen rather infrequently, it is important to make the most of your short time together. When you are in a long distance relationship, you are forced to focus on quality time rather than quantity. By making sure your short time together is extra special, the memories will stick with you longer and hopefully aid you in getting through the difficult times you both are apart.

How Often Should You Meet Up With Your Long Distance Partner?

When it comes to how often you should see your long distance partner, there isn’t an ideal frequency that you should strive for and there is certainly no normal standard in terms of the amount of time long distance couples spend apart. Every relationship is different and it’s very rare that a couple will find themselves with identical circumstances to others. It’s important not to fall into the trap of thinking you have to see each other every so many days or else your relationship is destined to fail.  Some people in long distance relationships are fortunate enough to be in a position where they can see each other often while others may only be able to see each other once or twice a year depending on family and work commitments or financial constraints. Each relationship will also be unique in that it will involve partners who have different needs when it comes to physical contact.

You will probably always have somewhat of an urge to want to be with your partner, especially in the beginning of a relationship. However, it is important to acknowledge that just because you have the desire to always want be together doesn’t mean it is always a good idea to over-exhaust the relationship. We have all heard the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” and there really is some truth to it. It is a human trait to want to play with the shiny new toy but sometimes it is best to not overindulge yourself in regards to your new relationship.

Long distance relationships force you to take things slowly which can prove to be very beneficial for the longevity of your relationship. It allows you to really get to know each other and you can therefore make an informed decision on whether the relationship is something you really want to pursue. When it comes to long distance relationships, the stakes can be high in terms of needing to make major life changing decisions in order to keep the relationship going. You want to be sure you are well aware of the impacts that your long distance relationship will have down the road when you both try to make distance no longer an issue.

You must realize that meeting each other may not always be easy, especially when the distance between you both is severe. You need to be willing to compromise your needs with what works best for your partner. Each person will differ when it comes to having the available free time, having the means to travel, or being able to accommodate having a partner visit depending on their individual schedule and circumstances. So when deciding on how frequently you and your partner should meet, it needs to be an arrangement that works uniquely for you.

Creative Ways to Get Around the Long Distance Situation

Although frequently dating your new long distance partner may be off the cards, you can easily replace traditional dating with other gestures that can be equally as enjoyable. Your options are as limited as your imagination when it comes to finding ways to combat the distance.

You may not be able to go to the movies together but you can always stream a movie together at the same time. The internet also makes it easy to have food delivered to your partner as a surprise. For instance, I was actually able to have a Domino’s pizza delivered to Megan at her job in Australia by ordering it online all the way from America. In doing so, I got the seal of approval from her colleagues who said I was welcome to send pizza to the office any time!

Interstate or international relationships can make use of drop shipping options to save costs on sending gifts to each other and you can also easily order flowers online and have them sent to your partner wherever they may live.

Even though sending texts and emails may be quicker, it is important to remember just how special and personal a handwritten letter or postcard can be. We tend to not get much in the way of quality physical mail these days, so actually receiving a letter from someone we care about has become somewhat of a rare treat. To save on the cost of postage, send numerous letters at the same time and date them as to when they are to be opened. This allows for a continuous flow of personal messages your partner can read.

For instance, at the beginning of our long distance relationship we were both counting down the days until we could meet again. We had planned to meet in Scotland for Christmas, but two months out from that date I forwarded a parcel to Australia which contained 60 handwritten letters for 60 days. The letters came with the instruction to open one letter per day for every day until we met. Romantic gestures like this keep the romance alive even when you can’t go on physical dates. If you’re short on creativity, classic romantic comedies are a great place to steal ideas from.

Living in different time zones can make things a bit tricky, especially when this means a 12 hour or more time difference. You will get used to the time difference and will get in the habit of remembering when to wish your partner a good morning or goodnight on a daily basis. When it comes to long distance, it isn’t so much how much you spend on gifts or how grand you make your gestures, rather it is about maintaining continual interaction with each other no matter how insignificant it may seem. The goal is making sure that the other person knows you’re thinking about them.

 

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