It may feel like life is on pause, but relationships don’t take a break. COVID-19 quarantining is keeping many couples from being able to see each other in person, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to stay connected to your significant other.

Making distance work in relationships is not a new concept, especially for 18-22 year-olds. According to a Journal of Communication study in 2013, 75% of college students have been in long-distance relationships.

Right now, one of the biggest concerns for separated couples is not knowing when a reunion will be possible. Everything about this situation is frustrating and cause for anger or sadness.
Those who are used to spending every day together on campus, are dealing with the drastic shift in their dating reality.

“It is hard to handle all these emotions when everything is out of our control and we don’t know when we are going to be able to see each other again,” says Grace Doino, a senior.

In the meantime, the lack of access to the outside world is forcing couples to get creative with their date ideas. For senior Erin Cuomo, her “dates” now include working out with each other on Facetime and watching Netflix or Disney+ together.

Other popular ideas include cooking together over Zoom or Skype and playing online multiplayer games (what could be more romantic than a dinner date at the Club Penguin Pizza Parlor?). If you’re not feeling too imaginative, don’t worry, the internet has your back.

Some couples who are anticipating being apart for upcoming anniversaries and birthdays are finding solace in planning adventures for when this is all over. Most exciting, though, is the simple prospect of reuniting. When that magical moment happens, products like the Royal Honey can make things more satisfactory.

“I’m honestly most looking forward to just getting to see each other in person again,” says senior Caitlyn Carney.

In the meantime, it’s important that we all give each other a break. It may be a struggle for some to find time to – virtually – spend together while also balancing online classes and work schedules. We have to be honest about our needs and realistic about our limits.

Remember: This is a hurdle, not a wall, and we’ll get through it eventually. Hey, maybe we’ll even be better off for it.