Being away from loved ones over the holidays is a struggle. There鈥檚 a lot to be missed,聽from Thanksgiving meals to New Year鈥檚 Eve kisses. I鈥檝e been in a long-distance relationship聽for almost a year and a half. My partner and I have celebrated birthdays, Christmas, Valentine鈥檚 Day, and our one-year anniversary while being 5,000 miles apart, but we鈥檝e found creative ways to make up for it.
Here are eight gift ideas that have helped us show each other we care even when we鈥檙e apart. Of course, these gestures are nice even if you鈥檙e not far from your significant other, but they can make a big difference when you鈥檙e not together in person.
A Plane Ticket
This might be the best gift, if you can swing it.听 for yourself or for them, and plan a visit. Put in the time and effort to make the trip, and your partner reaps the benefit of your company. (And vice聽versa.)聽Alternatively, you can get two tickets听补苍诲 arrange to meet somewhere and explore a new place together. (We highly recommend聽Kayak鈥檚 Rendezvous tool.)
Ordering a Present Online
Wherever you like to shop online鈥擜mazon, , or the multitude of other online stores鈥攜ou can have a surprise delivered to your favorite person鈥檚 address. It probably won鈥檛 be wrapped in colorful paper (although some places do offer gift wrapping), but who doesn鈥檛 like getting packages? Just make sure the online store delivers to the right location.听(REI delivers some but not all of its products . For international Amazon deliveries, I recommend going to the聽country in question鈥檚 Amazon site.) For gift recommendations, check out our Holiday Gift Guide.
Surprise Flower Delivery
For my birthday this year, my partner had flowers delivered to my house, and it was easily the best part of my day. Regardless of distance, flowers are a classic. In the past I鈥檝e used , but there are a ton of different online options like , , and . Better yet, find a local shop near your SO that delivers.
Delivered Food
On my partner鈥檚 birthday, I sent him a dozen donuts from 聽in his area. If you can鈥檛 personally be there, donuts are probably the next best thing. Alternatively, chocolate or pizza are good options. With delivery services like GrubHub, DoorDash, or UberEats (or Deliveroo in the UK), you can also get creative听补苍诲 order your partner鈥檚 favorite food.
A Photo Book
With or , you can create a little digital photo album of you and your sweetheart and get it printed into a book. You can also add words or little notes. Just put the delivery address down as your partner鈥檚 address. I recommend this one for anniversaries or for the New Year.
Plans for a Trip
If you can鈥檛 get away for the holidays, for the future. When the norm is being far apart, it鈥檚 nice to have a time to look forward to when聽you鈥檒l be together. For聽ideas or inspiration, check out聽these trips we recommended as gifts.
Invest in a Joint Gift
Consider investing in a piece of gear with a bigger price tag that the two of you will use together. Think a pair of kayaks, a聽rooftop tent, or聽if you want to go really big, a聽trailer. This year聽my partner and I are going to start saving聽to get a in the summer. If the price is more than you can afford right now, start a savings account and agree to add a little each month.
No Gift
If neither you nor your partner are particularly gift-oriented, think about聽not buying into the consumerism of the holidays. Instead, set up a few hours to do something special together while video chatting. Plan to cook the same meal together over FaceTime聽in your separate kitchens, then dine together. If you鈥檙e the competitive type, see who can make the best presentation, reality-TV style.