Hey guys,
This week I wanted to put out a fun post for all of you in LDR's! Long Distance Relationships (LDR) are tricky to navigate, and this week I wanted to talk about a few date ideas that are worth trying between you and your significant other (S.O.). I've done a few of these myself, so for those I'm going to go into a little detail about what we thought about them.
Without further ado here are ten fun "dates" for couples in a long distance relationship!
1. Have a movie night
Daniel and I recently tried this one and we found that it was a lot easier to manage than we thought. The time difference between us is currently 13 hours, with him being ahead, so figuring out what time to watch the movie was probably the hardest part. With each other on FaceTime, we sat down and dedicated two hours to Game Night, a movie recommended to us. Facetiming allowed us to comment in real time, and it was fun because we got to watch the movie together; the only difference being we weren't physically with each other! 
2. Workout Together
3. Send a care package 
I recently sent a small package to Daniel with all of the essentials. Because he's currently deployed, the things I sent him are going to vary from what you could send to your S.O.. Think of sending them their favorite snacks, a book you enjoyed (or one they've been eyeing), as well as some necessities related to what they're currently doing. For me, I sent Daniel some of his favorite popcorn, a book him and I like to read, and face wipes for those long days on the field. I also included a bag of coffee (dark roast!) and a card with a picture. Care packages don't have to be fancy, but do show the time and thought put into them.
4. Write "Open When..." letters
Right before I left Hawaii I wrote six letters to Daniel as well as filmed a video to watch on a flash drive. Knowing that it was going to be event months before we would see each other again, I knew that the letters could help make the time go faster and would be something to look forward to for each month. At the beginning of every month I know he looks forward to opening them. The best part? I really do think they help make the time go faster!
5. Create playlists for each other
6. Plan your next trip
Daniel and I often talk about where we want to go when we get back to Hawaii and what island we want to travel to next. We often send each other pictures of places we want to visit, and this allows each of us to get an idea of what the other likes and doesn't like. Plus how fun is it to plan dates for the future? 
7. Play fun games over iMessage
Something fun Daniel and I did in the beginning of our LDR was challenge each other to games over iMessage. It was a quick distraction from the stress of the work week and it was fun to see how competitive each person could get!
8. Do weekly devotionals 
Religious or not, daily, weekly, and now monthly devotionals have helps us cultivate opinions on what we believe matters and doesn't matter. Spending those five minutes every night reading and reflecting is a good way to meditate on what you want to accomplish in your relationship or what you think needs to be changed. 
9. Have a meal together
Time differences can make sharing meals difficult, so the way Daniel and I do this is typically facetiming over breakfast both my time and his. Of course, if you're in the same (or relatively close) timezone there's no stopping a good sit down Skype date!
10. Treat each other to coffee

I hope you got a little bit of insight on the challenges that go into a long distance relationship and the creativity you need to thrive in one. Let me know in the comments if you've done any of these or if you have any you recommend!