Dear Mind Over Miles,
I struggle a lot here recently with being away from my girlfriend. She is truly the love of my life and our love and friendship are priceless. It seems the more I’m with her the more I want to be with her. I’m in Chicago and she is in Indianapolis. When we are together it’s magical. We laugh, have fun and just love being together. Any advice?
-Mark
Dear Mark,
I’m sorry to hear to that you’re struggling. Congratulations on finding the love of your life! The fact that you’re longing for the person you love when you’re separated from her is a good thing, but it’s still difficult to deal with. So how can you recreate that “visit magic” and fight off the post- visit blues? Here are my 4 tips:
Reminisce
Talk about how great your last visit was or even the one that was 5 visits ago. Often we’ll avoid talking about good memories because we worry that they will make us sad, but actually reminiscing is a great way to relive those magical memories. Reflecting on the good times together will be uplifting and make you feel closer to each other.
Plan Visit Itineraries Together
Talking about the places you’ll go and the things you’ll see will of course build excitement for your next visit. But it’s also be a great way to make sure that you make the most of the time you have. Having a plan means that not a moment is wasted.
Special Surprises
There are certain times when the post-visit blues are notorious for striking. One very common time is immediately after the visit ends. That’s why a lot of couples like to exchange Open When gifts that are opened after the visit is over. Leaving a sweet voicemail or personal gift are both also great ways to ward off post-blues.
Date Nights
A great way to recreate that “visit magic” is to have themed date nights. Watching a movie together using sites like rabb.it or playing Get to know you Bingo are great ideas to put into your schedule. Date nights make you and your s/o feel closer to each other and understand each other in ways you never thought about before. Even having breakfast, lunch or dinner together on Skype is a great way to feel more connected to your partner
Stay Strong
Besides these 4 tips, my last bit of advice is to stay strong! It’s true that distance is for the bold. It’s also true that it’s not easy and it can feel overwhelming at time, but you can do it. Don’t give on finding ways to feel close even when you’re not physically together.
Wishing you the best,