You’ve had many-a single Valentine’s Day. You’ve wallowed with ice cream and a romantic comedy on the couch; you’ve spent it with your best friends; you’ve ignored the day entirely. This year, you’re in a relationship, but you’ll be alone again because you and your honey can’t be together, whether because of school, jobs or just a quick business trip. But no matter what, there are ways to make the 14th special, even if geography isn’t on your side.
Care Package
Love letters are cute, but go the extra mile and put together a themed care package. Send her a kit full of products to pamper herself at home: a bath bomb, candle, facial mask or scrub and a new color of nail polish. Does your boyfriend love sports? Put together a package that includes tickets to a local game, plus packaged peanuts, crackerjacks, his favorite beer and the team hat. Include a handwritten note with the package so your other half knows how much you care.
Delivery
If you’re more the traditional type, have flowers and chocolate delivered; however, if this is your plan, don’t wait until the last minute to order or you’ll be really kicking yourself come Valentine’s.
Want to do something a bit different, while sticking with the delivery route? Call around to local bakeries until you find one that takes delivery orders. Send a dozen brownies to his work on the Friday before; he’ll enjoy sharing them with his co-workers and it’ll show everyone just what a stellar girlfriend you are.
Skype or Facetime
With a fast Internet connection and any device with a screen, you can chat with your babe. A ton of options are out there for face-to-face communication. Among the best are Facetime and Skype. With Facetime, all you’ll need is an Apple ID, which comes standard with any Apple device. For Skype, you’ll need to register with a username and password.
Cook “Together”
Extend your Facetime date by moving it into the kitchen. Consider planning your meal before the call, so you both have all the ingredients to cook. Though you’ll each be cooking for one and not two, you can still set it up as a romantic dinner and eat together. It might feel a little futuristic, but it’s the next best thing to enjoying your candlelit dinner playing footsie under the table.
Mix-tape
Bring back the mixtape. So maybe it’s not a tape, but you can put together a playlist and send it over Dropbox. Include songs that have been part of your relationship—that 50s pop song that was playing when you first met; the ballad you both sung at the top of your lungs in the front seat of his car on your second date. He’ll treasure this mix for years to come.
Secret Sexy Surprise
If your girlfriend is headed out of town on a business trip, hide surprises in her luggage. She likely won’t find them until she arrives at her destination, tired from traveling. Your hidden treasures will be a welcome reprieve and it’ll prompt her to call you.
On the flip side, if you’re going on a trip and your sweetheart is holding down the fort at home, hide surprises throughout the house while he’s not watching. Tiny notes hidden in the cupboards, small gifts between the couch cushions or in his dresser drawers will be fun for him to while you’re away.