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Intimate Encounters: Going the Distance

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Notre Dame chapter.
 
Some of you, like me, are seniors and will be graduating soon. And some of you, unlike 
me, are going to be in long distance relationships come graduation. And for those of you already 
in a long distance relationship, this one’s for you too. I’ve done it before. It sucks. The three 
times I’ve tried it didn’t work out. Note: this is not to discourage you from doing it or be 
apprehensive about it. I just have such an addictive personality and I’m so needy when it comes 
to physical contact that I couldn’t stick through it. But for those of you strong enough to do it, 
you’re going to have to find a way around the geographical barrier one way or another.
 
Phone sex and Skype sex are the weirdest things to me. Ever. Phone sex makes me 
think of a call service where dirty old men dial in and pay a dollar a minute to have some young 
struggling actress who is just trying to pay her bills act out one of their kinky fantasies. I know 
people in the phone sex industry, and I’ve heard horror stories of men wanting to act out rape 
scenes, bestiality, and other messed up scenarios. Skype sex is just… awkward. Trust me on 
this: there is no good angle via webcam. You haven’t seen your partner in a while, and you’re 
trying to look hot, and when you finally find a good angle that doesn’t make your boobs look like 
pancakes, you realize he can probably count every dimple of cellulite on your thighs. No bueno. 
This is part of the reason why I hate the porn industry— I shouldn’t have to feel like Jesse Jane 
every time I want to get off with my boyfriend, but there’s the millennial sex generation for you. 
My last guy I was with long distance was really into Skype sex (a very visual creature, if you 
will), so I mastered the art of FaceTiming and only showing him a little at once. It was great 
because I had complete control over what he got, so besides the sex there was a power rush of 
holding the upper hand. But we eventually broke up and I got over the habit because I was 
never really that into it to begin with. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to recreate that dynamic with 
another partner because it was so specific to that relationship, but it got us through the long 
months of distance without exhausting our porn options. Seriously, watching porn can be so 
boring when you’re doing it on the regular.
 
What I personally find to be the most helpful for long distance is sending naughty texts 
throughout the day (this works for non long distance relationships as well!). Tell him that you’re 
thinking about him, and what you would do to him if you were there, and how you can’t wait to 
get home and fantasize about him… If you’re racy enough to send some naughty pictures too, 
go for it. I’ve had some bad experiences with nudes in the past so I opt out of them, but if that’s 
your thing, more power to you. If your relationship is comfortable enough to be doing long 
distance in the first place, you clearly know each other pretty well. You know what turns him on. 
You know what he likes. So get him revved up. Have him give you a call when he’s done and 
have him describe what the experience was like for him. I don’t want to hear you do your 
business over the phone. There’s nothing less attractive than a man making animal noises over 
the phone while he’s doing his thing. But hearing about it in retrospect keeps some of the 
mystery there. You’re part of the process, but you don’t have to deal with the awkward moments 
via phone or Skype. At the end of the day, though, each couple is different and you know what 
works best for you.
 
And either way, nothing beats the real thing. 
Xx, Gemma
 
 
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Pictures: 1,2
Intimate Encounters is a new column I'll be writing for Her Campus ND and I decided to become a part of it because I want people (especially women) to start feeling comfortable with their sex life. I’m not here to lecture, preach, or tell you that everything that I have done or will do in my sex life is the right or wrong thing to do. I’m going to talk about mistakes that I’ve made, amazing experiences that I’ve had, firsts (a lot of firsts), funny stories, awkward moments, and people that have made a difference in the woman I’ve become. Hopefully I’ll also be able to answer any questions you might have-- seriously, no shame.