Travelling with your long distance relationship partner? Do’s and Don’ts Advice
Posted on 08. Aug, 2010 by lisa in General Relationship Advice, Getting Dirty, Real Relationships, Technology for Long Distance Relationships
You and your long distance partner have a big trip coming up (or are thinking of planning a trip) – together! Very exciting! One two week trip I took with my long distance partner was the longest time we had spent together… ever. It went well, but I was worried going into it. Would we be compatible travel partners? What if we didn’t get along as well as do on our normal visits? What did this trip mean for our relationship? I was stressing myself out – for no reason. Here are some ideas on things to consider when you are planning a trip with your long distance partner.
- In order to plan a trip that both of you will look forward to, you need to know what kind of traveler you are – and what type of traveler your partner is. There are different “styles” of travel and you have to make sure you both come to some agreement on what type your trip will be. If you are the 5 star hotel type, and your partner is all into backpacking then some compromise is going to have to happen. Perhaps a cruise? Or staying in a nice resort in an off-the-beaten track area?
- Budget together. If one partner is tighter with funds than the other, vacation expectations can be very different. You might want to take full advantage of your travel destination, while your partner may be on a strict budget and not willing to do some of the same things. Or, you may be expecting your partner to help you out with part of your costs but haven’t verified this with your partner. Take the time before the trip to estimate costs (including food, lodging, travel, entrance fees, tours, transportation, etc). And then discuss those costs with your partner to make sure everyone is clear on expected costs and who is going to pay for what.
- Don’t be afraid to spend time apart – its okay if you need a break! After an extended period of time together you might need your space for an hour (or a day!) and that is perfectly fine. Suggest something that your partner would want to do and each of you can enjoy your separate time. Gives you that much more to talk about when you meet up later!
- Try to learn things about your partner! Notice how they interact with strangers, appreciate the things they notice that you would not have, check out activities that interest them. You may see a whole other side to your partner. Hopefully a good side.
- Do not let small things turn into big deals. You are both in a new place, experiencing new things, and bad things can happen. And bad things can lead to negative attitudes fast. So, try to not let that happen. If something bad happens – deal with it. And then try to get back on the happy vacation path.
(Image source http://lordofdesign.com/photoshop-brushes-travel/)
You are not alone… at least not online
Posted on 23. Mar, 2010 by lisa in Communication, Getting Dirty, Technology for Long Distance Relationships
A survey of Canadian college students found that 87% of more than 2,500 respondents ‘fessed up to getting dirty online via tools like instant message, webcams, and text message.
This can help relationships, as partners communicate more about their sexual preferences – especially talking about what turns them on. “Just like any other form of human communication, sexual communication is evolving,” says Noah Gurza (who ran the survey). “People communicate their sexual desires quite freely via virtual sex, which might not be the case in real-time sexual connections. Many virtual connections are just precursors for the real thing and as such, this initial openness might lead to increased openness when the sexual deed occurs — this is a good thing.”
“Cell phone text sex is also changing the rules, as it makes it transportable, and can be done from anywhere, not having to be confined in front of a desktop,” Gurza sayss. “It makes it much more immediate and getting down to the point, as text messaging is all concise communication.”
Distance certainly didn’t stop Tiger Woods.
(Image from http://trueslant.com/donovan/files/2009/12/tiger_texts.jpg)
Sign up if you want to be a beta tester!
Posted on 18. Nov, 2009 by lisa in Technology for Long Distance Relationships, coupledtogether
Click here to sign up! We have been busy creating new fun things for long distance couples. They aren’t quite ready yet – but we are hoping they will be in the next month or so.
If you want to be one of our beta testers please sign up HERE – all we need is your name and email. You do need to be in a long distance relationship for our stuff to be fun though!
We won’t spam you. Promise.
(Image source http://www.cupidblogger.com)
Long Distance Pillows?
Posted on 16. Nov, 2009 by lisa in Creative/Fun Ideas, Technology for Long Distance Relationships
New technology for long distance relationships is constantly being developed. Take, for example, the Relational Pillow, a prototype from MIT. LED lights under the pillow’s material light up in any pattern when a user touches them. Connected by WiFi, another pillow miles away suddenly illuminates in the same pattern. Group founder Patti Maes explains, “You can draw a smile on one Relational Pillow and send it to another pillow far away.” Draw a heart to convey “I love you.” Ask simple, fun questions, or illustrate something naughty when e-mailing dirty talk just doesn’t cut it.
Save money in your long distance relationship
Posted on 07. Oct, 2009 by lisa in Technology for Long Distance Relationships
(Image source allshadow)
Money is running low for almost everyone these days. Here are some ways to save money.
- Skype. Skip the phone as much as you can and talk on Skype. If you get a webcam, you can not only hear – but also see each other. Waaay better!
- Long distance phone cards. If you do have to use normal phone lines, you can usually get the best deals by purchasing calling cards. Read the details when you buy them (some charge a flat rate per call, plus minutes; others don’t…). If you tend to talk for a long time, the flat rate plus minutes might be your best bet. If you talk many times for short periods then avoiding the flat rate fee would be better for you.
- Travel company sign-up. Do you have a favourite airline? Favourite car rental company? Take the train? See if they have a customer loyalty program and sign up! Not only do these programs usually give out special savings, you will also be the first to know about travel deals.
- Same cell phone service. Lots of cell phone companies are implementing free mobile-to-mobile minutes and messaging. Spend some time to researching which companies offer these deals in you and your partners area in order to get the best deal.
- Cheapest internet provider. Some quick research on internet providers may reveal plans that offer unlimited use for a cheap price. Look around – and encourage your partner to look around also.
Have other money saving tips. I’d love to read about them in the comments.
Kissing over the distance
Posted on 30. Aug, 2009 by lisa in General Relationship Advice, Long Distance Songs, Pop Culture, Real Relationships, Technology for Long Distance Relationships
(Image from www.geekologie.com)
Introducing the KissPhone!
The KissPhone detects percussion speed, pressure, temperature, and sucking force of the lips, when you kiss it. This is then transferred through the mobile networks to your partner who can receive that kiss on their phone. You can also save kisses or receive kisses from a “kissbank” (e.g. a kiss from Madonna or some imaginary hero).
While I think the concept is interesting – if I came across someone making out with their phone I would be completely weirded out! But, who knows…maybe this is the next big thing? Do you think you would enjoy sending/receiving these virtual kisses?
Skype disappearing?
Posted on 31. Jul, 2009 by lisa in Communication, Other sites, Technology for Long Distance Relationships
SKype is having some legal problems. The company (which is actually owned by eBay) is in a battle with another company (Joltid – which is actually owned by the guys who started Skype) over access to the core technology that power Skype. Those Joltid guys ain’t dumb! When they sold the company to eBay, they retained the rights to the technology and were licensing it for Skype. Some issues have come up though, and now the license has been revoked.
They are due in court in June 2010 – so there is no immediate danger of Skype going anywhere anytime soon. Either the court case has to get resolved or Skype needs to develop its own core or else the service as we know it will disappear. I hope they are able to work it out!! Skype is important for a long distance relationship!
I know google talk exists, and I’m sure there are other voice communications tools out there. Anyone tried them? How do they work?
Technology for couples in LDRs
Posted on 18. Jul, 2009 by lisa in Communication, Other sites, Technology for Long Distance Relationships
There are two main pieces of technology that I, and other long distance relationship couples I know, couldn’t live without. (Well, on top of an internet connection – I’m kinda assuming that’s a given…)
1) Skype. Its free! Get a microphone (you can buy them used cheaply if you don’t have one) and start chatting. Its easy to use and for two people the sound quality is good.
2) Webcams. Visuals can be fun. And sometimes necessary when it comes to seeing what your partner is trying to say.
Being apart is not ideal, but at least if you have skype and a webcam you got two communication methods (sounds and visuals) covered. These guys are working on touch. So, now only if we can find some way to smell and taste from afar – hm, I think we are a few years away from that sort of technology.
Got other technology ideas that help you in your long distance relationship?
Tips to make a long distance relationship work
Posted on 19. Jun, 2009 by lisa in General Relationship Advice, Other sites, Technology for Long Distance Relationships, Trust/Jealousy
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LDRs work as good as close proximity relationships – so stop asking if they work! The real question is whether or not you want to make it work.Be Happy! Do not think that you can’t be happy if your partner is not with you (though, yes, you are going to feel sad sometimes). Not only do you have a right to be happy, being happy also makes your relationship better. You need to become the source of that happiness, it is your responsibility.Connect and communicate. Being a part of each others lives needs to be a priority – and you have to figure out as a couple how you both are going to do that. You might have to re-learn how to communicate because you are not always close to your partner. New cues will be discovered and you will have to be more verbal – your partner can’t understand silence. Create a routine that you both are content with, but be flexible with it. Explore the technology out there – chat (yahoo, gtalk, msn), VOIP, webcam, etc. can all add a new level of communication.
The article ends with the following paragraphs – and I couldn’t agree more:
Staying apart from loved one is always difficult. Nothing can replace complete presence of a loved one in our life. Even if you apply everything mentioned above or anywhere else, you will still miss your partner very much, you will still remember your partner everytime you go out, everytime you see something great. Everytime you see something which brings out a ‘wow’ from you, you will terribly miss your partner and wish there were here to share this. And missing is good. Missing your partner simply means you want him/her to be with you. Staying away from loved one will always be very very difficult.
But the point is, your relationship doesn’t have to be difficult. Inspite of all the distance that comes in between both of you, you can still be an important part of each others life, you can still love each other like crazy, you can still share all your small titbits with your partner, you can still have a happy, loving, fulfilling, successful relationship. You can still have a fantastic relationship – just the way you want.
Long Distance Relationship Touching Goes Hi-Tech
Posted on 03. May, 2009 by lisa in Technology for Long Distance Relationships
Live in the UK? Then perhaps you can be selected to test out a new device for long distance couples. The technology allows couples to draw light on each other, through wearing touch activated rings that are sensed by a camera (video demo here). So, as one person moves their hand and fingers, beams of light are cast on their partner miles and miles away correspnding to the movements. The project is from artist Tomoko Hayashi through Distance Labs.
Sounds kinda cool – but I don’t think it’s as good as the real thing!
(Image http://www.distancelab.org)
