Anyone who is or has been in a long distance relationship understands that nothing is more difficult than knowing that, as desperately as you may want to, being with your significant other isn’t always an option and, in the case of 1,000+ mile splits, is entirely improbable. For me, this is only more obvious when the holidays roll around. Here are thirteen (spooky, right?) ways to close the gap this Halloween.
1. Make plans. It seems too simple to list, but here’s the thing: When you’re in a long distance relationship, you’ve got to be fully aware that you’re leading totally different lives that you’re willingly connecting together. Talk it out. If you’re making plans with who you’re currently sharing physical space with, make sure you’re giving specific times and both of you are aware of the details. Don’t miss out on that costume party, just work around it together.
2. Send each other selfies. When you’re decorating your room. When you’re working on your costume. When you found a really cool skeleton to pose with somewhere. If they aren’t physically there, you’ve got to involve them – so show them what you’re up to and what your Halloween looks like, and encourage them to return the favor. It’ll feel less like “yours,” and more like “ours.”
3. Dress up. Just because you’re not in the same place doesn’t mean you can’t do fun matching costumes! Get dressed up and hang out on Skype, maybe even get a little in character. Do your makeup together, take selfies that fit together, and make silly faces that you can screen share. You might even forget you’re not in the same room, and if you worked on them together, it’ll feel even more special.
4. Watch a Halloween movie. If you’re in an LDR and you’re not aware of it, sites like Rabbit are going to be your new best friend. They let you stream from places like Netflix and Youtube, and all you need to do is set up the connection. You can watch each other’s reactions and listen to each other’s voices right from the site itself, no Skype or outside program required, so you don’t need to worry about weird syncing issues.
5. Similarly, start a Halloween-themed show together and gear up for the season. I’ve been watching "Buffy" with my girlfriend for a while, but something seems extra appropriate about vampires when you start coming up on Halloween. Make it feel more like you’re celebrating the holiday together.
6. Send each other candy. Who doesn’t like getting treats in the mail from their SO? Especially if it comes with a cute Halloween-themed card or letter.
7. Eat candy together. Whether you’re able to physically send it or not. One of the best things about Halloween is the candy, and if you’re not enjoying it together, you’re missing out. Who doesn’t like playful arguments over whether Twix or Snickers are the superior sweet? Get on Skype and pig out, especially if there’s something Halloween-exclusive you both want to try.
8. Listen to Halloween music. There is a limit to the amount of times you can play “Spooky Scary Skeletons,” and you probably haven’t reached it yet. Sing it together. Loudly. It tends to make you feel like you’re together. “This is Halloween” is another completely viable option.
9. Involve your friends. Maybe it’s silly, but when you’re going long distance, it sometimes feels like you’re disconnected from the other person. Connect your lives together. Just because you’re apart doesn’t mean you can’t have a Halloween party with friends (but if you want something more intimate later, make sure you plan for that, too!).
10. Play a scary video game. Even if you’re not that into gaming, they’re a great bonding experience and something you can both do together. Share screens and watch each other scream and jump. Games like "Amnesia" and "Five Nights at Freddy’s" are best played with the lights off.
11. Set the mood and tell a scary story. Remember when you were a kid and you’d turn off the lights, grab a flashlight, and get creative? Keep it alive. It’ll be fun to see what the two of you come up with, and you don’t need to actually be in the same room to do it.
12. Play Halloween-themed games. The sticky-note game is always a fun one. Write down a Halloween-themed character on a sticky note and keep it out of sight from your SO. Go back and forth asking questions until one of you guesses which character you are, and then laughs while the other struggles to catch up.
13. Start a tradition. Preferably something that you can keep going even when you’ve closed the distance, either again or for good. Pick a movie that you’re completely OK with watching year after year, or decide on some activity that you’re sure you can keep going, whether it’s decorating cupcakes or playing a certain type of game. Whether you’re in the same place or not, you’ll feel like you’ve made the holiday a little yours, collectively, and that’s what it’s all about.
