Long Distance Relationships - 52 hacks for keeping that spark going for senior citizens

1. Virtual Movie Nights: Implement by: Choosing a movie, pop the popcorn, turn down the lights, pump in your pajamas, setup the video phones and the evening.

2. Travel Vlogs: Implement by: Recording short videos of your daily activities and sharing them with your partner.

3. Online Games: Implement by: Playing multiplayer online games together using platforms like Words With Friends or Scrabble.

4. Weekly Book Club: Implement by: Choosing a book to read each week and discussing it through video calls.

5. Interactive Cook-offs: Implement by: Choosing a recipe, cooking together virtually, and sharing the experience.

6. Surprise Snail Mail: Implement by: Sending handwritten letters, postcards, or care packages to each other.

7. Digital Scrapbook: Implement by: Creating a shared digital scrapbook to compile memories and experiences.

8. Language Learning Duo: Implement by: Learning a new language together through language learning apps and practicing during calls.

9. Memory Lane Tours: Implement by: Sharing stories and memories from your past, discussing them through video calls.

10. Daily Photo Sharing: Implement by: Sharing photos of your day, things you find interesting, or places you visit.

11. Online Workshops: Implement by: Enrolling in online courses or workshops together and discussing your progress.

12. Virtual Stargazing: Implement by: Using apps to identify constellations and sharing the experience over a call.

13. Music Exchange: Implement by: Sharing favorite songs and playlists, and even creating collaborative playlists.

14. Online Museum Tours: Implement by: Exploring museums virtually and discussing the art and history.

15. Fitness Challenges: Implement by: Setting fitness goals and tracking progress together, sharing workout routines.

16. Dream Board Creation: Implement by: Creating virtual dream boards and discussing your aspirations.

17. DIY Craft Nights: Implement by: Choosing a craft project, working on it independently, and sharing the results.

18. Online Dance Classes: Implement by: Taking virtual dance classes together and practicing your moves.

19. Personality Quizzes: Implement by: Taking online personality quizzes and sharing the results for fun discussions.

20. Historical Show and Tell: Implement by: Sharing interesting historical facts or objects through video calls.

21. Virtual Meditation Sessions: Implement by: Meditating together through video calls for relaxation.

22. Online Puzzle Challenges: Implement by: Working on puzzles simultaneously and discussing your strategies.

23. Wildlife Watching: Implement by: Sharing photos or videos of local wildlife and discussing them.

24. Online Shopping Dates: Implement by: Browsing online stores together and sharing your fashion finds. This can be done online or you can actually go shopping "together" via your iphones. 

25. Recipe Exchange: Implement by: Sharing recipes you've tried and discussing your cooking experiences.

26. Travel Planning Sessions: Implement by: Planning future trips together, researching destinations, and making itineraries.

27. Daily Journals: Implement by: Writing in a shared digital journal about your thoughts and experiences.

28. Astronomy Nights: Implement by: Observing celestial events like meteor showers through video calls. This is fun to get out and actually gaze at the stars. It is also fun to actually share the real sky together long distance.

29. Online Comedy Shows: Implement by: Watching stand-up comedy specials simultaneously and laughing together.

30. Nature Soundscapes: Implement by: Sharing calming nature sounds or recordings from your environment.

31. Virtual Gardening: Implement by: Sharing your gardening endeavors and tips through video calls.

32. Online Volunteer Work: Implement by: Volunteering for online projects or causes you both care about.

33. Mutual Movie Recommendations: Implement by: Recommending movies to each other and discussing your thoughts afterward.

34. Recipe Cook-offs: Implement by: Choosing a common ingredient and both creating a unique dish with it.

35. Creative Writing Challenges: Implement by: Sending each other creative writing prompts and sharing your stories.

36. Cultural Exchange: Implement by: Learning about each other's cultures, traditions, and cuisines.

37. Online Trivia Nights: Implement by: Participating in virtual trivia events and testing your knowledge together.

38. Personalized Playlists: Implement by: Creating playlists for different moods and sharing them with your partner.

39. Online Concerts: Implement by: Watching live-streamed concerts or performances together.

40. Video Diaries: Implement by: Recording short videos about your day and sharing them.

41. Artistic Collaborations: Implement by: Creating joint art projects, whether it's painting, drawing, or crafting.

42. DIY Science Experiments: Implement by: Trying out simple science experiments and discussing the results.

43. Fitness Accountability: Implement by: Setting fitness goals and motivating each other to stay active.

44. Online Personality Tests: Implement by: Taking personality tests and comparing your results.

45. Poetry Sharing: Implement by: Writing and sharing poems with each other.

46. Fantasy Travel Planning: Implement by: Imagining and planning extravagant trips you'd like to take together.

47. Virtual Museum Challenges: Implement by: Exploring online museums and challenging each other to find interesting artifacts.

48. Online Karaoke: Implement by: Hosting virtual karaoke nights and singing your favorite songs.

49. Nature Drawing: Implement by: Choosing a natural object to draw or paint and sharing your artwork.

50. Online Astronomy Classes: Implement by: Enrolling in online astronomy courses together and discussing celestial phenomena.

51. Virtually Share Your Morning Wakeup: Enjoy your Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage and morning coffee over a split screen (or double screen) of each other's morning face your electronic copy (or paper copy) of your favorite newspaper. Whats really cool about this is this reading together always develops other reasons for getting on line with each other.   

52. Online Dinner Together: Decide what you are going to have for dinner. Go shopping virtually together at your individual favorite grocery store. One you get home prepare the menu together enjoying your favorite wine and/or sativa or indica. 

Remember, the key to a successful long-distance relationship is open communication, consistent effort, and shared experiences. Adapting these ideas to your interests and preferences will help keep the spark alive and strengthen your bond despite the distance. I am the first to admit that a video chat is no where near as nice a hug in the morning or handing each other a towel after showering. But approached with the right perspective and love these video events can heighten the anticipation until the next time you are together.