By CASANDRA DELLAS
Contributing Writer
As the school year winds down, many couples are now facing the problem: what do we do during the summer? When the ability to see your significant other goes from walking across the quad, to driving/flying across the states (or seas!), summer can seem quite daunting. This time can also be difficult because couples are unable to be intimate with one another for extended periods of time. So this week’s Just the Tips is dedicated to the different ways that partners can keep the heat turned up in their relationships while living miles apart.
As always, the most important step to navigating these ventures is to talk to your significant other about what you will both need during the summer months before leaving Allegheny. This conversation may be hard, especially if you have different expectations and wants, but honestly is integral to keeping a healthy and happy long distance relationship.
The next step is to open up your horizons and try to be comfortable being intimate in new ways. You cannot be around each other all the time but you can have exciting new experiences on different mediums. Try leaving a voicemail saying how much you miss your partner intimately and describe what you would like to be doing if you were together. (For examples and tips on dirty talk, just look up the Campus article from two weeks ago!) Texting is another way that this little, yet effective, method of intimacy can be achieved, though be careful to make sure you’re sending your texts to your hunny and not friend by mistake.
Another way to keep the spice up during the summer is to buy toys with one another. When you’re home, you can let your partner know when you’re using yours or vice versa. You could have sessions where you use them in tandem so you can simulate the intimacy of sex even if you cannot be together for the act. Another option could be to buy them separately and surprise one another with what you buy.
Although I do not recommend sending pictures or videos of yourself, you could send one another videos that you find. Tell your partner that you would like to try a similar position or role playing idea that the video shows. You can even have “dates” where you watch videos together by screen sharing on laptops.
Finally, if you do not have access to toys or a computer, try going the old fashioned way and send each other letters in the mail. Not only will these be a fun surprise in the mail but you can add secret code to let your partner know you miss them in more ways than one. Create a code that appears harmless “I wish we could have another Star Wars marathon!” but really means something special to you.
Leaving your significant other for extended periods of time can be difficult, but it does not have to be the downfall of your sexual experiences together. By being creative, you can still have moments of pleasure together that keep your relationship strong through those long summer nights.