5 Steps To Celebrate Christmas With Your Long-Distance Sweetie
We are far apart, but our hearts remain connected.
It's Christmas time. All I want for Christmas is to spend it with my significant other right here next to me. While many of us get the privilege to do just that (some even take this for granted), many others aren't so lucky. Sometimes we all have obligations that we can't avoid, and we have to be far away from our loved one (occasionally even half way across the globe!). But it's the biggest holiday of the year! Nobody should have to feel left out. If you and your sweetie are willing to put in the extra work, celebrating long-distance can, regardless, be a fun and unforgettable experience.
Step #1 - Video chat on the big day
You can't maintain a healthy, long-distance relationship without keeping in touch with one another often, period. Thanks to modern day technology, "seeing" each other is just a click of a button. We are never too far away from our loved one, digital-wise anyway, as long as you have a phone with an internet connection and video chat capabilities. So plan ahead to see each other at an agreed upon time this Christmas. Even if you have plans hanging out with your local friends and colleagues, going for a drink and whatnots, make sure that you schedule a time for just the two of you to "meet" over chat. Plan for a longer chat session if you can to make it extra special.
Step #2 - Open gifts at the same time
I hope that you have planned on exchanging gifts even if you can't be "together together" during the holiday. In fact, it would be a very thoughtful thing to do for each other to send over something special for the occasion. Everybody loves receiving gifts, let's be honest. So when you are on your Christmas video chat, you can open the present you got for each other together. Seeing your sweetie happy because of the thing you gave them can warm you up even if it's negative degrees outside (well, maybe only when you have the heat on indoors, but still).
Step #3 - Eat "the big meal" at the same time
You might not be having Christmas dinner with your sweetie this year, but you can pretend that you are. Even if you were to eat a simple meal in front of the camera together, it's the idea and arranging for it to happen that counts. You can jazz up your surroundings with a bit of holiday music, chug your favorite egg nog together at the count to three, or even pretend to share a slice of turkey breast by holding it out towards the camera and have the other person pretend to eat it. This might all sound so silly and overdone, but anything to get your loved one to smile is worth it. This long-distance thing is hard and you want to do everything you can to keep that fire in you going.
Step #4 - Play an online game together
It might have been a while since you both did anything together for real. While that's too bad, you can still have some fun spending time virtually and especially on this special day. No one says you can't play Pictionary remotely. All you need is some good subjects and a few pieces of paper. Another more deliberate suggestion is to do an online "escape" game. There are many of these you can take part in remotely across multiple devices. Now, this usually will require you to have a tablet, like an iPad, or a laptop to be able to properly play together, which most of us do anyway.
"Seeing your sweetie happy because of the thing you gave them can warm you up even if it's negative degree outside."
Idea #5 - Express your love
Of course you can't physically hug and kiss your sweetie (you are far away, duh!), but you can certainly express it. Sometimes emotional connection is strongly than any physical touch. When you express to the other person how much you wish they were with you, or how badly you want to hold and kiss them, you are trying to break the distance barrier. Now, this might not work for everyone (at the very least it would be appreciated), but when it does, it could work wonders. People generally like to hear that they are missed and wanted, especially from someone important to them.
Final thoughts
Being able to hold and sit next to each other and laugh and have fun is ideal especially during the holidays. But you don't have to be sad even if that's not possible this year. As long as your hearts are connected, no matter where you are, you'll feel just as warm as everybody else. Sometimes being apart is a blessing in itself, that's when you learn to miss one another, and the good thoughts you have of the other person, you will begin to cherish in the years to come. Take it from me, a veteran of a long-distance relationship.
Are you experiencing the long-distance agony? Share with us in the comments below.
Julie Y. Barris
Founder | Chief Editor | Advice Guru of Moody Melon Magazine
I am an author, artist, entrepreneur, and a graphic designer with a unique vision to contribute to the world one idea at a time. Besides creating and inventing things, I’m also fascinated by the human mind. I enjoy helping others help themselves by giving them advice on family and relationship matters.
