This is a guest post by Frank & Michelle of LovingFromADistance.com.

You have a relationship with someone sweet and kind. They know you, and care for you deeply. That is great!  Unfortunately, you feel that distance is the only thing keeping your “Long Distance Relationship” from being a “Long Relationship.”

Not so great.

Phone calls help, and so does instant messaging. Maybe that webcam you use every once and a while makes it seem like your boyfriend/girlfriend is right there with you while you surf the internet. Even as you use these great marvels of technology, it is still clear that you are separated by distance.

So what are you going to do? Talk on the phone more?

No, the phone was invented because people were far away. The mere fact that it exists reminds you that you are separated. The same thing goes for the webcam, too. You do not normally use a webcam with your neighbor.

Some of you might say right now, “Well, there goes half of what we do to communicate.” And as you all know, communication is paramount to a successful relationship. The key to shrinking that feeling of separation in the relationship is to do activities that non-LDR couples do – just modified.

Quick, name the typical date for two people that live in the same town. I bet most of you said going to the movies. Guess what you next date is with your significant other: movie date.

The first step would be to make sure you have a date night. A night where you try to keep open every week, or every other week, where you can give each other full attention for a period of time (A long distance relationship needs some regularity to it; a date night is one of those regular things which provides you something that you may look forward to).

Now, pick a movie. Rent one, find one (legally) online, borrow a friend’s. Just make sure that you have the same type of copy. Do not have a downloaded copy if your girlfriend has the actual DVD.

Now, pop some popcorn or make some nachos, and start the movie at the exact same time. Call them up and say, “One, two, three, start!” You can keep the phone on during the movie if you like to talk to each other during the movie, or not. You just had a movie date. The only difference was that you could not see your boyfriend/girlfriend.  So, to take care of that, turn on your webcam. Now you can watch them and the movie at the same time.

If you said dinner and a movie when I asked what a typical date was, you can do that too.

Cook the same thing or order the same take-out. I have even heard of a boyfriend surprising his girlfriend by ordering delivery food without her knowing. He ordered the same food for himself from his local restaurant as well.

Have plenty of pictures of you and your partner together. That way, you can look at your wall and remember the last time you were together.

I know plane flights are expensive and some of you have never met. No problem: edit some pictures so it looks like you were together. Take a picture of yourself with your arms out, and have your boyfriend take a picture of them (facing the correct direction) with their arms out, then Photoshop, MSPaint, scissors and glue. Then, as an added bonus, recreate that picture when you do meet.

So what if you never have actually touched them, you can see what it will look like. You can almost imagine it. You can almost feel it.

The way to eliminate the distance is to pretend like there is no distance.

Use your imagination.

Come up with new and clever ways to turn your “Long Distance Relationship” into a “Long Relationship.”

(Photograph is a courtesy of Tonyç)