Despite your nonstop texting, sending your SO a Bitmoji holding a heart with “I Love You” in a thought bubble doesn’t always cut it. Bring some romance back into your relationship by writing to your lover the old fashioned way— and, no, not on AIM. “I think sending a text saying you love or miss someone is easy. But sitting down to write a letter or send something takes more time and effort,” said American University junior Mackenzie Territo.
When you sit down to write that letter, billowing with emotions and love, your brain comes up with intrusive questions that cramp your style. How do you write a love letter? What if it comes off as corny and weird? Worry not— this style of expressing emotion may seem awkward, but the power of love will shine through.
Learn how to write a letter to make your significant other’s heart flutter from 1,000 miles away.
1. The month by month plan
Studying abroad seems appealing AF—how could you turn down the chance to travel to Australia? But what if you go but your bae doesn’t? Between different time zones and faulty foreign data plans, talking on the phone becomes limited. In comes letters. “I’m a huge cheeseball/romantic and am writing my girlfriend a letter once a month to open while I’m gone. So I wrote one in May, June, July and August for her to open in September, October, November and December,” said AU junior Lily Morris. Not only does this make the person abroad feel less lonely, but it serves as an easy way to make sure they are still thinking of you.
2. The postcard
When two people are unable to be physically together in different schedules and time zone, a postcard with true words of love holds more weight than a text or FaceTime. “I love making him feel loved and missed so I always try to think of something a little extra to really show that I miss him. And this time it included making a postcard,” said Territo. After all, stamps aren’t cheap, so a cute little postcard will really show that you put in time and effort to physically write to them. Postcards also take your partner on the journey with you. Sending them a postcard from Paris will make them feel like they are standing next to you, looking at the Eiffel Tower in the most romantic city in the world.
3. The pre-departure love notes
Sitting on the plane ready to travel across the world having just said goodbye to your significant other will leave anyone in tears. But fear not— something like a pre-departure love note does the trick. “I once wrote my past boyfriend a seven page letter about what I was going to miss about him when I went to college,” said AU graduate Keara Duffy. “Writing letters are kind of my thing and are much more heartfelt than if I were to send a text.” Whether you’re going away to college, moving after post grad, going abroad or transferring schools, pre-departure notes are the perfect sweet touch. These notes have special sentimental value and allow the writer to freely express their final feelings.
4. The time capsule love letter
In some high schools, seniors write letters to friends or loved ones that will be received years later. This idea also works for lovers in college. Say you and your significant other start seriously dating the middle of freshman year. You could write a letter as a freshman and give the note to them for graduation. This comes with a risk considering some college relationships don’t last, but if you guys are still dating well into college, this serves as a fun way to reminisce on your romance.
5. The funny love letter
Could you picture someone like Will Ferrell romantically spilling his guts to his wife through a Shakespearean style love letter? The answer is no. In order to get to someone’s heart, the key ends up being humor. Little daily notes with romantic jokes are one way to get your lover’s attention. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a little note on their fridge that says, “Roses are red, this love note is clever, I like your butt, can I touch it forever?”
6. The cheesy anniversary letter
If there is one thing people love to do, it’s to look back and remember a fun time— the first date you went on, the day you met or any great memory you had together. This could range from that time you guys first danced at a sorority mixer to your very own meet-cute at orientation. The point of this is that people love peeping into the past. This love letter shines when your significant other is going through a rough time like struggling to get an internship or pass a stats class. Either way, bae will appreciate the gesture and maybe take them back to a happy time in life when these hardships were obsolete.
7. The brutally honest letter
As with most things in life, relationships don’t always go as planned. Distance doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder. Writing a letter of concern to a loved one could work as a great way to share your feelings, which is what AU sophomore Claire Kepley did. “His letters were really whiny and negative instead of being excited for himself or me (he was boating in the…Caribbean) and it made me realize I didn’t want to surround myself with someone who only saw the negative in life, but I was at a month long camp where I couldn’t have my phone and could only write letters.” In this case, she was forced to write a letter — which probably worked out for the better.
8. The simple poem letter
Most of us like to write from the heart, but sometimes we have to get creative and spice up the letter with some poetic inspo. Write your lover a cute haiku or rhyming poem— something simple and to the point. This style allows you to go down the sappy old fashioned Lord Byron route or keep it a bit more straight to the point with an acrostic poem. “I thought the love poem/letter I received was more meaningful and cute. It felt more permanent because it was a physical copy rather than a virtual text (even if texts are “permanent”)—well that was also how I found out his true feelings for me,” said AU junior Lauren Carrero. Whatever style you choose to write make sure it’s straight from the heart without being creepy.
9. The “10 reasons I love you” letter
You’l always find those people who make lists of what lists they have to make. Take this skill (or weird obsession) to love letters. Once in a while, your partner needs to be reminded how much you love them. Writing a systematic list can really break down all the simple reasons you love someone— the perfect love note for your type A lover. This letter can also be a simple way for all you guys out there who want to show that chivalry is not dead. Some men have a difficult time expressing their feelings, so a simple list does the trick when it comes to swooning your sweetie.
10. The self-love letter
This will sound a little cliche, but in order to love someone else you must love yourself. It’s a phrase to live by, especially during your college career when you are trying to find yourself. Before you start that love letter to your SO, when you are feeling low at some point in the semester, take some time to write down all of your accomplishments and a few things you like about yourself. We all need a little self love here and there. Why not take time out of your day to recognize all the awesome things you’ve accomplished and what makes you unique in this world?
