How To: Valentine’s Day for Long-Distance Couples

The day is finally upon us: Valentine’s Day! There are so many ways to spend this day, whether it be with friends (check out our guide to Galentine’s), on your own (check out our guide to being single on Valentine’s), or with your boo. But for those of you in long distance relationships, worry not — you can still enjoy this day. Whether the distance is Quad-Mather or across a continent, here are some ideas for you to celebrate with your Valentine even if you aren’t physically together.

Start the day off with texts!

Most of the time, your morning alarm is the most dreaded sound in existence, reminding you to get up and go to class. Instead, brighten up the day by starting it off with a cute good morning text! It can be short and simple, or you can write a whole poem if you want to — do as your heart says, but we’re sure your partner will appreciate the heartfelt message first thing in the morning, giving them a smile to start the day.

Send them gifts

In this day and age of technology, you can pretty much send anything anywhere (which can be both a good thing and a bad thing, but we’ll focus on the good for now). Go classic with flowers and chocolates, or you can also send gifts that represent an inside joke to make it more meaningful and special. You can either use online ordering services (Bezos it up, I guess) or ask their roommates to be the special ~secret~ messenger on your behalf. Hey, I can’t speak for everyone here, but flowers are always a quick and easy way to bring a smile to any face.

You asked them to be your Valentine…right?

Yes, you still have to ask them to be your Valentine. Yes, even if you’re dating. No, it’s not implied. Yes, go call them right now and ask. You’re welcome.

Call them!!

While it can suck to not physically be next to each other, at least you can still stay connected through phone calls and video chats, talking into the wee hours of the night while you procrastinate on your work. The best thing about long distance is that the two of you are always talking, because honestly, that’s the only thing you can really do anyways. Start and end the day with a call so they can hear your voice. :)

Write each other letters

Be a little old-fashioned: pull out a pen and paper instead of your phone. Snail mail may be a little outdated, but there’s something about putting physical words on paper that just speaks differently. You can tell them you’re thinking about them, write things you may normally hesitate to say out loud (because you have a roommate in the room), and include little gifts such as photos or cute trinkets.

Do a virtual date night

Bring the date through the screen! Plan something the two of you can do together. It can be fancy or simple, anything as long as it’s a way to spend quality time together. You can watch a movie together, order food for each other for a virtual dinner date, or play a game together. Check out one of our past articles for Virtual Valentine’s Day date ideas!

Send them a video/voice memo

Phone calls and video calls are great, but consider also sending your partner something they can save and rewatch later! Instead of a good morning text, send them a good morning voice memo. Hearing your voice is another surefire way to have them start and end their day with a smile.

Plan your next visit

When doing long distance, it’s a huge plus to think ahead and plan when you’ll see each other next. You can plan a belated Valentine’s Day celebration and recreate the day together. But in general, get excited about seeing each other again! Hey, after all, Feb. 14 is just like any random day; you and your partner can celebrate your feelings for each other any day.

We know you miss them, but distance is temporary, and some may even say it makes the heart grow fonder. No matter how you choose to spend the day, keep your boo in mind and think about the next time you’ll see them, which will be very very soon.