Long distance relationships are tricky for a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest marks against them is the daily grind of keeping in touch. There are now more ways to keep in touch than ever before like IMing, texting, cell phones, social networking sites, etc.

However, staying in touch the same way can get real boring, real fast. If you want to keep the spark alive, you need to have as many ways to keep in touch as you would have dates to go on if you could meet in person.

Send Her a Pic of Your Meal

“She will feel happy to see a picture of what you are eating”

Cell phones are a great boon to long distance relationships, but you don’t have to keep sending the same texts over and over again. A really cool way to spice up your relationship and keep things fresh and interesting is to snap a picture of your meal and send it to your girlfriend. If you guys are eating even close to the same time, she can reply with a picture of her meal, and you can have the idea of eating lunch together without actually having to eat lunch together. These little treats are quick and easy ways to touch base during a busy day, and you can also share breakfasts, teas, whatever you like. Whether you share every morsel that passes your lips or only a couple of dinners a week, it’s a little aspect of your life that you might have shared if you two were able to be together.

Good Ol’ Fashion Letters

Before you get the idea that these letters are only for chumps, let me tell you this: we’re not talking college ruled notepaper here. Invest in some quality stationery and write each other love letters. Go crazy and spritz the paper with a bit of your cologne. Press some rose petals between the pages of the book and fill the envelope. Basically, you can be as sweet and sappy and personal as you can be through the mail, and you’ll only have to do it every now and then, depending on how far apart you two are and how long you intend to stay that way. It’s a lot of effort, but a beautiful love letter written with careful penmanship and delivered smelling like a touch of rose petal accent is exactly the way to keep your girlfriend feeling the love.

The Couple That Reads Together

“Send her links of eBooks that you want her to read”

Another cool way to stay in touch is to share eBooks. Kindle and Nook both have sharing features, and otherwise you can do it right from your computer. As you read along, underline passages for your girlfriend and add in notes for her to find; tell her what you think her reaction to a plot twist will be, or how you imagined a fight scene going down. Talk about the themes of the book, and how they apply to you. Have her do the same with an eBook that she chose, and when both of you are done, you may switch and you’ll get a book jam packed with notes for you.

Variety is the spice of life, and definitely the lifeblood of any relationship. When you’re in a long distance one, it can seem like there’s nothing you can do to keep it lively and interesting, but with a little thought and the tips provided, you can find lots of ways to bring you and your sweetheart together.