Going into my third quarter of long distance I would absolutely not claim to be an expert in the art, but I did survive both pledge season and the Thanksgiving break-up. Therefore, I would say that I am somewhat knowledgeable in the matter and ready to share some tips that have helped thus far.
First of all, you have to accept the fact that most of the time (besides letters and such) your relationship will be confined to the four borders of your phone screen. And while Facetime and Messages are timeless go-tos, there is software designed specifically for LDRs! Here are five of the most important digital apps/uses of apps that have helped me stay feeling connected to my boyfriend and kept our relationship progressing even 3000+ miles and four time zones apart:
Evergreen is so cute and free, although my boyfriend impulsively bought the premium version while it was on sale. Every day, Evergreen gives us a prompted question that we respond to. For example, it recently was “What is something it took you a long time to realize about your partner?,” but they can also be more individual such as “What does true love mean to you?” It also gives you a “most likely to” quiz, and you can see how your results match up at the end. The premium version also gives you access to unlimited guessing games. Overall, it is a fun and easy way to connect and learn new things about each other rather than just filling your partner in on your day.
Agape is the same vibe as Evergreen, it just gives you more chances to answer fun prompts and learn and appreciate each other. There is also a sweet option to write each other love notes.
NOTE IT IS SO CUTE. You send notes to each other’s home screens, but like little drawings you draw for each other. First quarter we were so into this and drew some of the most detailed digital cartoons I have ever seen.
Honestly, I am not that good at using this app, but has a lot of potential. The premise is that you display matching widgets on your and your partner’s lock screens, such as status updates, how many miles apart you guys are, how many times you’ve missed your partner today and so on. Unfortunately, I have only figured out how to display how many steps we take every day (I always lose), but I am working on it, I promise.
Spotify
Obviously, you probably already have Spotify. But one small thing my boyfriend and I do every day is add a song that reminds us of the other or describes how our day was to a Daily Journal Playlist. This is probably one of my favorite things that we do because it is like a little present every day.
With modern technology, being in a long distance relationship is easier than ever. There are dozens of ways to stay connected to each other while still forming new memories and learning new things about each other. These apps are small ways every day that you can set aside time for your relationship.