Long Distance Situationship Hacks

For any and all long-distance situationships.

Yes, that means with your significant other, friends, parents, family, and whomever else you can possibly think of and be missing right now!

Even though it's the year 2023 now, teleportation has yet to be invented, or at least, released to the general public haha. Travel is, in some ways, more accessible now than it has ever been before, however. And keeping in touch, no matter the distance, is certainly much easier to do now than it ever has been before. I'm here to help you learn all the different ways to make your long distance situationship (whether that is a relationship, a friendship, or something completely different) survive and thrive, as someone who has been there and done that, time and time again. 

Hack #1: Stay in touch; Speak to each other.

This probably sounds dumb. Like, yes, stay in touch, duh. But no, not "duh". People think it's so easy to stay in touch, but I think it's quite the opposite. It's easy to lose touch. Keeping in touch takes active participation and effort from all parties involved! It's extremely easy to forget to text back one day, and then one day turns into a  year, and a year turns into a lifetime. This can happen to any of us and it has certainly happened to me and many of my friends.

Social media makes it extremely easy for us to think we are in touch with each other. Sure, we see each other post stories of the brunch meal we ate, or life updates such as hard-launches of our newfound husbands, but staying in touch is so much more than that. It's about speaking to one another, in a personal way. 

Social media is not the enemy. It's our friend! It helps us stay connected with the world and people who maybe we otherwise would not be be able to. However, in order to really "stay in touch", rather than just staying connected, it's important to talk to each other.

So when I say "stay in touch", what I mean is, speak! Speak to each other often. Below are some great ways to speak with loved ones you can't meet in person, for whatever reason.:

• Call them 
  • I know everyone hates talking on the phone, but scheduling weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly calls with your loved ones can be a great way to speak with them and keep in touch.
  • If you or your loved one moves out of the country, use an app like Whatsapp, Viber, Discord, Google Duo, Zoom, Skype, or even Instagram to call them.
  • You can audio call or video call.
  • Call on big and small occasions.
    • Want to have a girls night but your bestie lives in a different continent? (relatable) Arrange a virtual movie night! Pick a chick-flick, both of you stream it, and you both watch it together while on a video call. 
    • Got engaged, and your mom lives 5 hours away? Call her to share the good news!
    • Getting married, and your besties live all over the world? Have a virtual bachelorette/bridal shower on Zoom.
    • Had a bad day and need to talk? Call.
    • You and your significant other are long distance and can't be together on your anniversary? Have a virtual date!
• Text them
  • Let them know they're on your mind by sending a, "Hey! How are you?" message. Avoid close-ended conversations such as, "I hope you're well." - there is little room for a response with that kind of message, and it makes it seem that you don't want to hear from them further. 
• Write
  • I don't mean text, I mean actually write. Write to them. Write letters and mail them. Send them a post card. Send birthday cards. Spice up your mail by adding some of your favorite perfume in the top corner of the letter/post card for them to smell when they receive it.
    • This is actually one of my favorite hacks. No one seems to send snail mail anymore, and there's something so heartwarming about receiving a handwritten note/letter/postcard from a loved one that you can't see in person for whatever reason.
• E-write (e-mails)
  • Don't want to write a handwritten letter but want to do more than "just" text? Write them a letter though e-mail instead. Link your favorite song in the e-mail, and tell them to listen to it while they read your e-mail. 

Hack #2: Long distance dates.

This might seem impossible to achieve, but it's fairly easy to have a long distance date (note: date does not have to mean in the romantic sense). Some date ideas were listed above in Hack #1. More date ideas are listed below.

• Cinema/movie theater dates
  • Pick a movie you both want to see. Book tickets at your local cinema/theater for the same or similar time as whomever you want to see it with. For example, I live here in the US, and when my best friend, Zain, lived in the UK, we would sometimes pick a movie (for example, Avatar 2), book tickets for similar times, and watch the movie "together" from continents apart. We'd always try to call after the movie to debrief and catch up, too!
• Dinner dates
  • Option 1: Cook together on video call! Open your chosen video-calling app (Zoom, Discord, Skype, Whatsapp, etc.), call each other, and cook the same dish while on video call together. Then, eat it together! Link to one of my favorite recipe-sites *here*. 
  • Option 2: Go out to dinner together! Pick a cuisine, such as Italian, and both of you go to your favorite local ___ restaurant. Order the same dish (say, pasta arabiatta) and enjoy your meal together while video-calling each other. 
  • Option 3: Order takeout together! Similar to option 2 - pick a cuisine, order the same dish, and eat it at home while video calling your loved one. 
• Gaming dates
  • I'm a sucker for a good video game. And, luckily for me, there are tons of free/cheap co-op and multiplayer game options out there these days to play with loved ones, no matter how far away they may be. No, you don't need a fancy gaming console or gaming PC (though, of course, those are great if you have them!) - all you need is your phone or laptop and your willingness to try something new.
    • Some co-op and multiplayer games you can play on your phone are:
      • StumbleGuys
      • Uno
      • TriviaCrack
      • Call of Duty 
      • Pokemon Go
    • Some co-op and multiplayer games you can play on Steam (PC/laptop) or your gaming console are:
      • Portal 2
      • Overcooked 2
      • It Takes Two
      • Phasmophobia
      • Fall Guys
      • Rocket League
      • Smite
• Spa / self-care dates
  • Put on your favorite face masks, paint your nails, and pamper yourselves all while sharing all the gupshup or gossip with each other through an audio or video call.

Hack #3: Mail.

I touched a bit on this in Hack #1 but another great way to stay in touch is to mail your loved one(s) things. Not just letters, birthday cards, or post cards, but also packages with small gifts to remind them that you care. You can put all sorts of things in your package, such as local snacks, jewelry, or even a t-shirt you've slept in that smells like you (lol, maybe more appropriate for couples!). Use your local post office, instead of something such as FedEx or DHL, to mail your package and save yourself some expenses. 

Also, of course, write letters/cards and mail those too! They cost next to nothing and are a great way to stay in touch.

Another great option is to mail gifts online. Amazon is available in many countries - hop onto their local Amazon (such as Amazon Canada, Amazon UK, etc.) to mail them a little gift on special occasions. Save them the duties tax!

That's all, folks.

That's all I can think of right this second. I'll certainly update this list as I think of more options, from reflecting on things my own friends, family, and S.O. have done to keep in touch, to thinking of new ideas! If you have any other ideas you want to share, please feel free to jot them down in the comments section, and I'll happily share (while giving you your due credit!). 

My last bit of advice before I hop off is this: be intentional. I mean this for every aspect of your life, but especially with keeping in touch. As stated earlier, it's quite easy to lose touch, whereas staying in touch takes effort. A lot of it. So, if you want that friend you grew up with to be in your life forever, even though you two live in different continents now, or you want you and your long-distance relationship to work out, be intentional. And, of course, try to see each other in person as often as possible. It absolutely is possible to maintain friendships and relationships despite the distance, and my family, friends, S.O., and I are living proof of that. if we can do it, so can you!