4. Plan a visit at least once a month
Getting time off from work and paying for travel can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. You just have to know about the best travel apps and choose the right airlines.
“Look towards an airline that is going to give you decent elite status,” said Brian Kelly, Founder and CEO of ThePointsGuy.com. “Look at the big picture. First, find the airline that flies the most between your two respective cities. Some airlines are better than others in terms of same-time flight changes. Delta and American Airlines wave that fee for their elite fliers.”
We use Google.com/flights, Skyscanner, and AirFare Watchdog to find flight deals (especially spontaneous travel) and Hotel Tonight for last-minute hotel bookings (rooms are a fraction of the cost!).
Flying Emirates Airlines from LAX to Milan to meet Jason for our friends Justin Etzin and Lana Zakocela’s lavish Tuscan wedding. (Photo: Micah Jesse)
5. Be open about your emotions
When naysayers say long-distance relationships are hard, they aren’t wrong. You will experience intense feelings of missing your partner. The key to getting past these “humps?” Be totally honest about your feelings and always make big relationship decisions in person.
Since you won’t always have the luxury of seeing your partner’s facial expressions, it makes sharing your emotions, especially verbally, that much more important. “You may not be able to give a tender kiss, but you can say, ‘I’m really missing you today’,” says JDate dating expert Erika Ettin.
6. Communicate daily with small tokens of love
On a daily basis, Jason and I send each other good morning text messages, Instagram pics throughout the day, and then we Skype/FaceTime at the end of the day. We realize that some days are busier than others for the both of us, so sometimes we just say something like, “thinking about you,” and that goes a long way.
“It’s important to make sure the other people feels like he or she is part of your life. Send pictures and texts, not to make your partner wish he or she is there, but rather to feel like he or she is part of the action,” says Ettin.
7. Write a handwritten letter every once in awhile
Most of us rely on technology, but nothing compares to a beautiful hand-written card (even a postcard) from your boyfriend or girlfriend. You can send snail mail for anniversaries, birthdays — or even just because! It will put the biggest smile on their face.
Jason couldn’t make it to our friends Aarin Schlossberg and David Spiegelman’s wedding at Rancho Dos Pueblos in Santa Barbara, Cali. — so I went solo! — and kept him updated throughout the night with texts and photos. (Photo: Julia Nugent)