15 Ideas to Keep Your Long Distance Relationship Romantic

Long distance relationships suck when you and your significant other were used to being around each other every day. You could call them up and hang out whenever one of you were bored, but under some sort of recent circumstances you two can't be together at the moment. As a person who is experiencing a long distance relationship right now, I know how hard it can be with your lover being miles away. You miss them and you wish that they are near and sometimes you find it hard to keep the romance alive. Here are some romantic ideas to keep the love strong while you and your lover are miles apart.

One thing that can keep the interest and romance in a long distance relationship is sending your boyfriend or girlfriend cute little gifts in the mail. A letter is nice, but maybe one day, over the phone, your significant other said they were running out of their favorite perfume or cologne, you can take the initiative and buy them a new bottle of their favorite fragrance and mail it to them. If your anniversary is coming up or it's almost your significant other's birthday, then you could make a personalized mug or picture frame and mail it to them. Or maybe, if you're crafty, hand make your long distance lover a personalized pillowcase with their name or cute little quotes that make you think about them or vice versa. I bought my husband a pair of shoes that I knew he'd like (nothing expensive) and surprised him with them; he was very happy and excited that I had gotten them for him. He even called them his "favorite shoes" and wore them whenever we went out. Little gifts can make someone's day and keep the romance and love in the relationship. It can also make you feel good to see how happy your lover is to get a special gift from you.

If there is a show that you and your boyfriend or girlfriend used to watch when you two were together, continue to watch this show over Skype or Facebook Messenger. Before me and my husband got in a long distance relationship, we would watch this anime every night with each other. When we first got into a long distance relationship, he decided to video chat me over Facebook Messenger so that we could continue to watch the anime together. It was like he was right there in the room with me. Your significant other might not being lying right next to you, but hearing their voice and seeing their face while watching something that you two enjoy watching together when you're apart can keep the attraction going. It will also keep the interest in the relationship because after the show, you two can talk about it and it wouldn't be just like other boring weekly phone calls that die out because neither of you ever have anything interesting to say.

A silly picture can keep the laughs and interest in the relationship. Not everything has to be so serious all the time. It's understandable that you miss your significant other, but sending depressing, sad love letters all the time about how much you miss them will sort of be a drag and may start to annoy them. Be happy together even if you aren't together. I tend to send silly pictures sporadically, and he laughs and sometimes sends some back. Just send a picture of yourself making silly, weird faces, with your tongue out and get a laugh out of your boyfriend or girlfriend. It will keep things fun. If you aren't comfortable making silly faces or run out of weird faces to make, send your significant other some funny memes that will get them to laugh.

Be careful with this one. Don't go sending nudes, even if this is a person you trust and love deeply, it's best to not send pictures like this. Think about how horrifying it would be if you two got into a big argument and broke up and then your nudes are leaked and all over Facebook. Yeah... you don't want that. I don't want that for you! Send a less explicit picture of yourself in one of his/ her favorite outfits you wear. For a girl, send a picture of that cute dress he likes to see you in. Maybe show a little cleavage or a thigh if you're feeling frisky. For a guy, send a picture of yourself in that shirt she got you for your birthday, sneak in a picture of your abs if you've been working out a lot lately. For ladies, if you're feeling a little more bold, send a little more explicit pictures of ALMOST naked photos. Maybe get you some sexy lingerie and have a little photoshoot for him, and give him something to miss. Or send a little sexy picture of yourself in nothing but a towel; that will drive him crazy. But PLEASE, NO NUDES!

Maybe a single letter isn't enough to tell your long distance lover how much you appreciate them, and maybe a sappy text message isn't romantic enough to share your feelings. One way to keep the romance strong in a relationship is for each of you (or one of you in secret) to keep a romantic journal for your boyfriend or girlfriend. You can write a compilation of romantic letters for your significant other. Maybe something happened that day and it made you think about them, add it to your journal. Maybe you guys had a great phone conversation and you wanted to share how happy you were to talk to them and any lingering thoughts you had afterwards. Whatever it is, if you know it will make your boyfriend or girlfriend feel special. A little letter here and there will really make up a great romantic journal. At the end of the year, you can give each other the journal as an anniversary gift.

Plan to surprise your boyfriend or girlfriend with a secret visit. Maybe your anniversary is coming up and you don't know what to get them, showing up at their door is the greatest present of them all. Just recently my husband surprised me with an unplanned visit. He was acting weird the week prior and not really interested in conversation and I thought he might have been upset or something. I brought it to his attention, and asked him if he was upset, but he was nonchalant, saying that he was fine. The next day, he called me, we talked like any other day; he then asked me to video chat him. When I answered, I could see the outside of my dorm, I ran outside and there he was. A surprise visit is the most romantic gesture ever. It will make your significant other feel special and they will be extremely happy to see you. Knowing that someone is thinking about you and planning a special surprise for you really keeps the interest in the relationship and strengthens the romance.

Another romantic idea to keep the interest in the relationship is to plan a date night over Skype. Even though you guys can't sit in the same room with one another, maybe you guys can watch a movie or eat dinner over Skype together. Something that can be exciting, which is something that I've done with my husband, it make dinner with him over Skype. We weren't making the same meals and the meals weren't extravagant, but if you and your boyfriend and/or girlfriend would like to make nachos together or a cake, that could be fun, too. You guys could either eat in front of the television together, or sit at the table and have a candlelit dinner together to set the mood. At the table, it could be a perfect time to have conversation about both of your deepest thought and future desires. Skype dates can be a nice anniversary date night, and something extremely special, or a casual date night with your lover.

A care package is a sentimental, loving gift. You could buy one that's premade, or you could go ahead and make one. If your significant other is in college and they are about to have exams, maybe add a blanket, instant coffee packs, candy bars, a stress ball, and pencils and pens, or notepads. A care package can also be a nice anniversary gift, depending on what you add to it, you can make it a romantic treat.

Something that I've tried and the beauty of social media is being able to play those little online games Facebook has with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe it's Words with Friends, or Uno, whatever multiplayer game that is out online that you think would be fun to play with your significant other, ask them if your boyfriend or girlfriend would be interested in playing. My husband loves to play video and phone games, so when he sent me a Facebook message inviting me to play a game, I joined him. Recently, I downloaded a game on my phone, and played it in front of him, so he downloaded the game, too. It was easy for us to bond on something and have a little fun competition with one another to see who would get the best score. Also, we were able to play WITH each other to reach a common goal in the game. With playing these online games, it opens the door to new things to talk about and connect with your long distance lover. Also, now you and your significant other have a common interest and there's something more to the relationship than sappy text messages and long, dragged out phone calls that lead to dead ends.

Sexting and talking dirty can keep your long distance relationship spicy. You can be as explicit or implicit as you want. Saying things about what you want your boyfriend or girlfriend to do or what you'd like to do to them can keep them attracted to you and wish that you could be there with you. Or, maybe you could talk about a special memory where you were actually DOING those things to one another. If you are a little on the shy side, maybe sexting instead of talking would be more comfortable for you. Whatever makes you comfortable, do that.

A traditional letter can definitely be romantic and keep the love and closeness in your relationship. Think about the intimacy of mailing a handwritten love letter to your boyfriend or girlfriend. It's very unique way of communication and could be a nice anniversary gift to your long distance lover. If you two make it a thing to write each other back and forth, the excitement of waiting for the next love letter from your boyfriend or girlfriend can leave the spark in your relationship. These letters mean so much more than a text message. Many people put these letters in special places in their room, and keep them forever (even after the relationship). A handwritten letter is a sentimental, romantic gesture.

Maybe sending a voice memo saying "I love you!" that your significant other can keep in their phone and listen to at night can keep you in their memories. They can hear your voice every night and remember how you sound, not that it would be easy to forget if you have weekly phone conversations. If they are having a lonely night and wish you were near, hearing your voice could put them at ease. Or, you could send a more in-depth message about how you feel so happy to have them in your life. Something meaningful that they could listen to and save in their phone to help them remember how special they are to you, and how meaningful your relationship is to you. It's a creative way to keep the sparks in your long distance relationship. And the sound of your voice can be soothing to your boyfriend or girlfriend.

A special delivery can be a nice, romantic, thoughtful gesture. Something that I've been thinking about doing is buying and sending my husband a pizza. I think that he'd be appreciative that I did something sweet for him that he wasn't expecting. You could order them some food or some more sweet like, flowers. Whatever you think will make your significant other feel special, will be fine. It's the thought that counts.

As time ticks down before the two of you can be together again, a countdown could be a fun little thing you and your long distance lover could do. I know for me, last year when I went studying abroad, I did a little countdown before me and my then boyfriend (now husband) would be able to meet again. He planned a whole date and dinner for us for when I got back into the country. You can also make the countdown creative and use pictures of you and your lover with the number of days until you two get to be together again. A countdown can allow you and your boyfriend and girlfriend to be excited for the time where you two can be in each other's arms again. I know that I will be doing this in a couple of weeks because I graduate in May and I can finally be with my husband, again.

A long distance relationship can be used as time to explore your independence and love yourself. Now, I don't mean going out and drinking and having sex with some random person and messing up your relationship, but just taking time to enjoy your own company. For me, I'm in college so I'm busy with classes and a part-time job. I also hang out with my friends when I find the time and do solo activities I enjoyed before the relationship, like reading and writing. I know that you can get used to being under someone once you get into a new relationship, spending all your free time with them. Then when your long distance relationship starts, you may start to miss them excessively and want to wait for their next phone call. Don't do that. Missing someone is fine, but you were a whole person before them, so you need to continue to be a whole person without them. It may turn your boyfriend or girlfriend off if they know that you basically stopped living because they aren't around. It may also put a strain on your relationship, so take advantage of this distance to love yourself and be your own person. It will also give your conversation some interest if you actually have some exciting news to talk about.

It can be hard to be so far from your long distance lover. Keep those sparks alive as much as possible, but also love you and enjoy being your own person again. Distance can be good for a relationship, because you aren't always with that person so when you see each other, it's exciting and passionate.