A long distance Valentine’s Day is something I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy — being so far from someone you love is hard enough as it is, so when you add to the mix a day that serves as a constant reminder that some people are fortunate enough to be with their significant other all the time, and have the ability to celebrate the holiday the inherently “proper” way, by going on luxurious dates to fancy restaurants and gifting each other beds adorned with flower petals and boxes of truffles hand-picked and wrapped in creamy packaging, it is enough to throw anyone in a long-distance relationship into a rage.
But this year I’ve resolved to be an optimist. Life does not always work out perfectly, and the next time Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend won’t be for another two years, so it’s time to accept that we’re going to have to work with what we’ve got — and, thanks to FaceTime, Jeff Bezos, and the Internet, figuring out a way to still enjoy Valentine’s Day without physically being with your partner doesn’t seem like it’ll be that hard.
With that in mind, I’ve laid out a few ideas for those who will also be long distance on February 14th, so you and your significant other can still feel special on a college-student budget.
Date Ideas
Surprise DoorDash Dinner
Even though you may not be able to go out to dinner with your Valentine, that doesn’t mean you have to eat alone! Grab your phone, open DoorDash, find a restaurant in your partner’s area, and order them a surprise meal. Then, have them do the same for you. Unbox it on camera and eat together over FaceTime on a cute virtual dinner date, and there’s the added benefit of the surprise factor!
To elevate the experience even more (if the budget allows) order multiple courses for your significant other to enjoy – appetizers, desserts, and drinks, to name a few. It’s a special occasion!
Slideshow Night
At this point in the quarter, you may be sick of compiling presentations together for a grade, but the process is so much more fun when it’s just for your own enjoyment! Hop on zoom, share your screens, and present your homemade slideshows to each other. You can each have different topics: ‘Favorite Memories of Each Other’; ‘2024 Goals for Our Relationship’; ‘What I Love About You’; Our Next Vacation Destination and Why’, to name a few. Have fun with it!
Valentine’s Day Themed Boxes
This idea may be a bit more time-consuming, but is sure to make you and your partner feel the love this Valentine’s Day. A week or so in advance, depending on how far your partner lives, begin to assemble a box filled with all of their favorite things, and ship it to them so that they can open it on the 14th! Instead of making it purely material goods, maybe try and make it a compilation of things of sentimental value: love letters, crocheted flowers, little knick-knacks that remind you of a certain moment shared with each other. It’s more cost effective, and more intimate!
Last Minute Gift Ideas
Flowers
Everyone knows them, everyone loves them. But since you can’t hand off your flowers directly to your significant other this Valentine’s Day, let someone else do it! If you’re feeling fancy, check out FreshSends, a website that sends fresh, fancy bouquets to your loved ones in a decorated box! And if that’s looking a little too out of the budget this year, Amazon Fresh delivers flowers, pastries, and chocolates galore directly to your Valentine for half the price!
Enigma-Gram
This idea is a bit more unique, but is definitely for a specific type of person. The Enigma-Gram is a website that will encode a message to your significant other into a series of puzzles. Solve the puzzles, and the message you wrote to your partner is revealed! It’s a fun twist on a traditional love letter and is perfect for the problem-solving, curious mind!
Although you may not be able to spend this special day with your special someone, hopefully these ideas and activities will help you celebrate! Happy Valentine’s Day!