At the end of last year, I started dating a guy who lived in my dorm. We kept talking through the summer, and we even traveled to see each other. Now the school year is starting up again, and he just told me that he wanted to keep dating. I’m really happy. I like him a lot — he is fun, smart, and he loves to travel. I really want to get him something. Nothing big. Just something that says “you’re special,” that would be good for somebody I’ve only been seeing for a few months. What do you think I should get?
Your burgeoning relationship sounds wonderful. We are more than happy to help you find the right gift to let that new someone know they are special. It is never a bad idea to show someone that you appreciate them; as the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted.” You want to tell your paramour that you like where your relationship is heading, and that you want to keep in going. We’ve got three gifts to suggest.
As somebody who likes to trek to new places and experience new things, he would probably appreciate a way to catch all those amazing moments. A phone’s built-in camera works fine for that, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t really take pictures that are gallery-ready. And lugging a big DSLR camera across city, state, or national lines can get, believe us, exasperating. To combine the mobility of a phone with the photographic elegance of a professional lens, we now have professional lenses for mobile phones. These take beautiful pictures, from macros to landscapes, and fit in your pocket. Getting him this gift would simplify his life, and remind him of you every time he uses it. Also, since the two of you will have lots of fun together, a lens would enable the two of you to capture and keep those memorable experiences.
On the subject of new and difference experience, have you considered a coffee subscription? Coffee from the grocery store or a corporate coffee chain has often been processed and homogenized within an inch of its life. However, coffee can be an artisanal beverage. Coffee beans take on different qualities depending on where they are grown, a concept called terroir. Subscription services like the one linked above from Moustache Coffee Club partner with growers and roasters from all over the world. With a new bag of coffee every month, your morning coffee cup will have a little more color. Furthermore, it will bring the flavors of the world to his doorstep while the two of you are tethered to your university. And, isn’t it nice to get him something that the two of you can enjoy together, maybe for an afternoon cup of java, or perhaps even the first thing in the morning.
What if you were to plan a trip together for the two of you? Some people want to treat their new spouses to amazing vacations, but as a college student you are probably on a budget. The next best thing is to buy a travel guide to somewhere the two of you want to go (a local city, the next state over, another country…) and mark the spots the both of you would want to visit to establish an itinerary. Then, give him the guide and itinerary as a present. Planning a trip long in advance is just a good idea in general. As the travel site Off the Path recommends, the more thoroughly you plan, the fewer misunderstandings. This gift is really the gift of future time spent together. There are few gifts more meaningful than those that say, “Hey, I like you so much, let’s hit the road, just you and me.”
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