If you’re like me, you’ve been quarantined away from your partner. We are lucky enough to have never been long distance and we live very close to each other, even in our home towns. The only time we have ever spent a long time apart was five years ago when he was in a Drum and Bugle Corp. and traveled for three months. It’s safe to say that this adjustment still continues to be difficult for us. We went from seeing each other multiple times a week to never. This really sucks and it’s very frustrating, but it’s important that we all social distance to keep COVID-19 at bay. So here are some “date” ideas that will help you and your partner stay strong in these very troubling times.
1. Zoom Movie Night
At this point most of us are taking online classes through Zoom and it is actually a pretty cool application. Zoom is a well designed platform that holds connection well and is more sophisticated than Skype. Zoom also has a share screen feature which means you can pull up Netflix or YouTube on your computer and watch it together. There is no need to sync your show up or hassle with TV issues. Of course there is good old Facetime, but Zoom has less hassle in my opinion. This is also perfect for meeting up with friends because the platform can handle multiple people well.
2. Car Date
If you’re lucky enough to live near your partner and have access to a car, go on a car date! Simply meet up and park next to each other. You’re far enough apart to adhere to CDC social distancing guidelines, but you can see your partner in person. Of course you are subject to the weather, but when it’s nice out maybe park by the water or watch the sunset together.
3. Video Game Competition
My partner loves video games. I’ve dabbled before but with so much time on my hands, I decided to see what he liked so much about them. I now am an avid player of the free computer game League of Legends. I find it to be a fun way to bond with my partner as well as get my aggression out about what is happening around me. We connect on the platform Discord (also free) and talk while we play the game together. If you’re not really into video games, my partner is also a chess enthusiast. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play and now that I have time, why not! The website (and app) Lichess is a great way to learn and play chess against your partner or friend. My partner and I like to compete to see who buys coffee next time we can see each other, or who buys snacks for when we can go to the movies again. There are plenty of apps to try out as well; remember Word with Friends?