UPDATED MAR 2020. Brace yourselves. The Valentines Day promotion has begun. All around me I see pretty pink hearts, cute catchphrases, and images of couples candidly showing their love for one another. It got me thinking of what it is like to celebrate occasions like these when you are apart from your loved one. Whether it is Valentine’s Day or other (more important) special occasions like an anniversary or birthday, it can be a very lonely experience for those separated by distance. Today I’m sharing some long distance birthday ideas and strategies that you can use for any special occasion as well. It’s more of a brainstorming prompt post than a gift guide, but I hope it can help you.
Long Distance Birthday Ideas & Navigating Special Occasions While Apart
Plan ahead
You don’t have the luxury of running out the day before and picking up a birthday gift, so start planning early.
Organize your gifts and write your letters early and be sure to post everything with extra time to spare. Better to arrive early than late.
If you leave things to the last minute, something like Edible Arrangements could be an option. They create unique and delicious bouquet alternatives and offer delivery.
Schedule time to connect with each other
Time is the greatest gift you can give anyone in my opinion. This is best done on the special occasion if possible. If not, then take the time to connect before or after the day itself – think of it as a second anniversary or birthday.
Set a time where you will call or Skype and treat it as an important appointment.
Remove distractions while you are talking, so don’t make the call while you are at the mall or with friends. It’s not a group date, this is a time for 100% of your attention to be devoted to each other.
A lot of people talk about how hard long distance is and how it never works, I call BS on that right now. Sure it’s hard.
I won’t argue with that. It can be easy to get focused on the life that is right in front of you, distracted by work, friends and other obligations.
But everything is what you make of it. Always remember to make that time for each other, especially on these special occasions.
Get creative with long distance birthday ideas
Long distance does bring some challenges. But I think it is kind of fun to face that challenge and find creative ways to stay connected on these special occasions while you are apart.
I once did an international movie date. We both went to see the same movie on the same day and afterward, we chatted about the movie as if we were walking out of the theatre giving each other our thoughts.
My husband once bought a packet of white t-shirts and wrote funny captions on them with a sharpie which was a really fun and personal gift.
Put your creative hat on (or just do a Pinterest search) to find some new ways to connect because the little things like that can be really fun and break the monotony of the long distance routine.
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Snail mail
Nobody hates receiving handwritten letters so this is a solid idea.
It is a classic, timeless way to document the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of the distance that are often missed in text conversations.
After all, no matter how many emojis you place next to each other in a text, they don’t fully convey the moment, do they?
When we cannot contact each other at all, I write notes in a book and share them when we are together again. This is like a time capsule of my thoughts and helps to include my husband on days he has missed.
Let me tell you it is not all deep and meaningful love letters either. Sometimes it is just the happenings of the day. He needs to know about my love for my new blush nail polish purchase right?
Sending letters is a great long distance birthday ideas because it’s meaningful and personal.
Make something
I am a huge subscriber to the thought that something personal and thoughtful is better than something expensive.
For this reason, I think that making something yourself is one of the top long distance birthday ideas. You can get a lot of ideas on Pinterest so if you are unsure, that is a good place to start.
I’d also recommend thinking about what you’re good at making and going from there.
Are you crafty? Or maybe handy enough to build a little something? Can you make a movie? Or perhaps you can paint something?
If you’re unsure of what to make, I think making a photo book is a good idea that anyone could do. I use Artifact Uprising and they make amazing photo books.
I hope this post on long distance birthday ideas and strategies can help you navigate special occasions. It can be hard and lonely at times, but I encourage you to get creative and make the most of it.
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Awesome advice Katie! I don’t have much experience in long-distance, but I do believe that distance can be a good test of the strength in a relationship.
Getting creative is a great tip! Especially if you are away for long, it’s easy to fall victim to the routine of the everyday phone call or facetime. A tip for guys that I would share is to make the effort to suprise your girl from time to time. Send her gifts randomly, but make sure to put your own twist to them so it isn’t so predictable.
Definitely a good test of strength for the relationship. When the love is strong you are always with each other, maybe not physically but always together in some way so the distance isn’t as big of a mountain. I love your tip too. That’s a great one – you are such a romantic!
Yes yes, calling BS on how long distance doesn’t work! Me and the hubs did a little over 2 years of it because of school and being on opposite coasts. We actually say that being in a long distance has helped us in certain aspects of the military life. We don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day because I was never a fan of it. I’m pretty sure this makes things a little easier for the hubs haha. I remember during our college days I loved sending him packages in the mail full of baked goodies. He’s not a huge romantic type of guy, but he has his moments and I totally girl out about it.
Great post!
Thank you! Yes, it’s not the distance that causes the fail it’s the couple – that’s what I think anyway. Care packages are the best and I love to dote on my guy. Even if there’s no occasion!