If you’re in a long distance relationship, you may be used to the concept of texting, calling and FaceTiming to connect with your partner. But why stop there? You can still have a romantic date night with your significant other despite not being together. Lucky for you, quarantine has forced many companies to develop online versions of their services, and now virtual dates are easier than ever. Almost any activity you and your partner like to do together can be done online nowadays! So, here are some ideas to keep that spark alive even when you’re miles apart.
- Netflix Party
-
Let’s start with the quintessential quarantine activity: Netflix Party-ing. You and your S.O. can pull up a new show or movie and watch together at the same time. There’s also a chat feature, but I recommend FaceTiming instead because I’m one of those annoying people who talks every five minutes when I watch a movie with someone. If you’re bored of everything Netflix has to offer, try watching a stand-up comedy special instead! Some of my favorites include John Mulaney, Jim Gaffigan and Aziz Ansari.
- Surprise dinner date
-
Send your date a meal through a service like UberEats or DoorDash and have them send you one as well. You’d be surprised by how fun it is to explore the restaurants near them and you can order them something they normally wouldn’t get! Once you get your food, FaceTime each other while you eat. This dinner date with a twist is not only a great way to get to sit down and talk to your partner, but it’s also fun to treat them and see their reaction to what you picked!
- Listen to music or a podcast together
-
Spotify just released a new feature called group session, where you can listen to music at the same time as people on other devices. Whether you and your S.O. want to coordinate going to the gym at the same time and listen to a workout playlist together, or you’re both at your separate libraries listening to studying music, it’s so cool to listen to music simultaneously. You could even check out a podcast together! This is just one way to feel closer to your partner, even from a distance.
- Virtual museum tour
-
Don’t let distance stop you from exploring together! Many museums have started giving virtual tours due to COVID, which are also convenient for those in a long distance relationship. “Travel” to the Guggenheim in New York, the Smithsonian in D.C. or the Art Institute in Chicago.
- Virtual escape room
-
One of my all-time favorite activities to do before the pandemic was escape rooms. If you love puzzles, teamwork and working under pressure, an escape room is right up your alley. Now you can purchase escape rooms online to play with your S.O.! This is such a fun way to get to work together, racing against the clock to figure out clues and solve puzzles. A great place to start is The Heist, which is available online for $20.
- Play a game together
-
If being competitive with your partner sounds more fun than working together, you could have a game night date! Tabletopia has online versions of any board game you could imagine, from classics like Backgammon to Chess, to ones you might not have heard of like Counter Attack and Fugitive. There are also tons of multiplayer videogames you could play together, either on your own consoles or online.
- Hike and talk
-
Get outdoors and go on a hike together (well, apart). If getting outdoors and being active is something you and your partner typically like to do together, that doesn’t have to stop just because there’s some distance between you! Find your own hiking trails, put in some earbuds and FaceTime! That way you can show them things you see along the way and really feel like you guys are together.
- Truth or drink
-
No matter how well you know your S.O., there’s always more to learn! Get deep and ~introspective~ with a game of truth or drink, in which you take turns asking each other random questions and drink when you don’t want to answer. Take the time to come up with fun questions on your own or find some online, like these. You can choose to play with raunchy, funny questions or deep, insightful questions. If you’re taking the latter route, I recommend looking into the card game “We’re Not Really Strangers,” in which you ask each other questions that aim to deepen your connection as a couple.
- Plan your next visit
-
One of the best parts of long distance is planning trips to visit each other. Turn this into a fun couple’s activity by making a date out of it! Spend an evening making a bucket list of things you want to try in each other’s cities, whether it be activities, restaurants or tourist spots you want to hit up. You could even make a Pinterest board of date ideas to get the ball rolling. Get excited together!