Tips For Long-Termers 2: Date Ideas

Like I said, I’ve been in a relationship with my guy for over four and a quarter years. And it’s awesome.

As an example, allow me to share with you an anecdote of undeniable cute proportions:

(BACKGROUND: I’m Jewish, he’s Asian-American, we’re both tattooless.)

We were on a double date with my friend and his coworker, who we’d set up. They both have a lot of tattoos, and my friend said to my boyfriend, “Do you have any tattoos?” He put his arm around me and said, “Oh, we don’t have tattoos–we’re Jewish.”

The point is, we are a team. We are not attached at the hip, but we do a lot of things together. So it only stands to reason that, after years and years of dating, Friday nights often end up as dinner and renting a movie. After all, it’s impossible to plan over 4 years worth of consistently creative dates. And we’re not big drinkers and we’re not drug users, so that eliminates blitzing the night away. And, frankly, we’re getting older (he’s 26, I’ll be 24 in a month)–we can’t keep acting like indie film loving hipster kids forever.

So here, for your benefit (and mine–seriously), I’ve compiled a list of date ideas for the not-so-new couple that still really digs each other. May you put them to good use.

Walk O’ Doom

The bf and I go for a lot of walks (we live in New York City, after all). And I love our little walks, but, frankly, I think we need to spice it up.

So here’s my idea: Make a map of your usual walk geography. If you’re good at this kind of shiz, draw in the stores and make it really cute. Then make a random list of things to spot. Keep them kind of vague so that you might actually see them.

And then surprise him on Friday night with the map and a set of disposable cameras. Have fun walking your usual route and seeing things you never thought to look for before–and taking funny pictures of these things and each other. Adorable.

Question Game

You think you know everything about each other? Yeah, guess again.

Take 10 minutes to each write out 25 questions about weird little things you’ve always been curious about (note: stay away from questions whose answers will hurt your feelings–so no questions about other lovers or anything potentially hurtful like that). Make sure every question is open-ended and not just yes-or-no.

Exchange and take 15 or 20 minutes to thoroughly answer the questions, being as thorough as possible. Then read them to each other and laugh and learn and make out.

Paint Each Other

It doesn’t matter if you’re both totally artistically challenged. It can be as crappy as you like (or as great)–the idea is to have fun and to see your partner in a different way than you normally would.

Buy a canvas for each of you and some basic acrylic paints and brushes (note: still cheaper than a night out!). Paint each other at the same time, looking closely and seeing things you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. Painting each other is intimate, loving, and, depending on your level of skill (or lack thereof), often hilarious.

Private Karaoke

This is surprisingly fun. You lock yourselves in a room and use the crappy karaoke equipment supplied by your local private karaoke dive, drink and sing.

Sing to each other. Sing with each other. Get silly. Act it out. Have fun. And then go home giggling and making out.

Plan a Trip

It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford it–you don’t actually have to go.

The fun is in planning your dream vacation. Vienna and New Guinea in three days? Private plane? Swimming in a sea of liquid gold? No problem! It’s your dream vacation! Plan where you’ll stay and what you’ll do every day.

And then secretly plot saving up to actually do it someday.

Work Your Way Through The Kama Sutra

Devote the entire evening to making love in new and unusual ways. Sometimes it will be fun, sometimes it will be funny, and sometimes it’ll be intimate. And who knows–you mind find something great to add to your repertoire!

Make Love. All the Time.

Come to think of it, isn’t that the best date of all? Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy each other, and all will be well. All will be so, so well.