For many of us, our relationships have been strained by the physical distancing requirements of COVID-19. But for those in long-distance relationships, seeing each other may be impossible.
I recently received a copy of Tanya Zaufi’s new travel book, All Over the Map: Two Lovers, Six Continents and a Date with Destiny. After leaving Kelowna, BC, for an adventure on the ocean, Tanya met her future husband, Josef. He’s from Austria, and for eight years, they kept their relationship alive while trying to find a way to be together.
Tanya Zaufi
If you’re spending lockdown away from your partner, check out Tanya’s top five tips for nurturing long-distance love:
1. Communicate openly and honestly, letting your vulnerability show
If you need more or better communications, let your loved one know. They can’t read your mind.
2. Have fun planning your next get together
Memories of time spent together are timeless treasures of the heart. Planning those times, and anticipating the quality time you will spend together, will one day be a memory of its own.
3. Lean on technology
We may all be Zoomed out, but virtual dinners, “goodnights” and “good mornings” on Zoom, Facetime or Skype are still the next best thing to being there. Texts—including playful and sexy—can help fan the fire.
4. Send love letters, postcards and thoughtful or playful gifts
From boxes of love notes to small mementos, old fashioned gestures offer so many ways to get creative expressing love. Josef once sent Tanya a message in a bottle that melted her heart...
5. Live your commitment
Make plans together for the future while setting clear rules and boundaries. Always trust.
