3 Tips for Planning LDR Trips

A huge hurdle long distance relationships have to get past is the planning of trips. You have to coordinate what dates the other person can fly, evaluating the cost of those dates or if its different going to one city or the other, and actually plan what you are going to do when the trip happens. The planning is fun, because you get to look forward to all the things you are going to be doing with your person. It can also be stressful if you aren’t sure where to start.

1. Eat Local

Aside from the cravings, which we are all allowed, go against the grain and find local places to eat. Your food palate expands, you get a better sense of what the cultural food tastes are, and you get to see some of your significant other’s favorite food spots finally.

Most importantly, local places like Eataly look the coolest on your Facebook timeline.

2. Plan Downtime

When you get limited time together, you want to plan as much as possible to get the other person to see the area as much as they can. There are many options to choose from: restaurants, beautiful sites, touristy areas, favorite date activities.

The most important activity you can plan is setting aside time to just do nothing. This gives you the opportunity to see how things are when there isn’t a full list of plans, or how the other person handles having down time. If they are type A, and that isn’t your style, you find that out. They won’t want downtime, and if you do, it’s good to find that out on trips. Oppositely, if they are type B, and prefer this, they might be happier with that option, as you might be as well.

Extra tip: unless you want laughs for life, if you write out an excel schedule of the activities you’re planning, like my crazy perfectionstic event coordinating self, watch what you abbreviate. I made the lovely mistake of booking an escape room labeled “Panic”. We forever have scheduled Panic time now!

3. Have Realistic Expectations

Even if you plan the list of all lists of activities to do you, know that they might not always be possible or may not happen.

People get sick (food poisoning is the worst on vacation to a national park), work calls in for a last minute project, or it starts to rain (bring umbrellas, always, to downtown Chicago).

Sometimes, you come from a stressful weeks at work, and you aren’t feeling a day out on the town to enjoy the local bars.

Be flexible, and be happy you get to spend that time with your long distance partner.