Long distance relationships were once thought impossible to maintain, especially if the couple had to live apart from each other for an extended period of time. Today however, all this has changed with the advances in telecommunication and the expansion of the internet.

Couples in long distance relationships can now video-chat with each other and use online portals to send out gifts both virtual and tangible to their darlings – erasing geographical boundaries of oceans and continents.

Jason, a brave twenty four year old soldier fighting for his country in Afghanistan, has been apart from his wife for almost two years. First childhood friends and later high school sweethearts, who eventually decided to spend their lives together, Jason and Sandra, are just one of the thousands of couples who will be spending this Valentine’s Day apart. His wife, Sandra is looking for a great way to express her love for him, so we decided to put together a few ideas to help her out.

If your sweetheart is also away in a different state or country, perhaps even fighting a war in Afghanistan or Iraq, and you want to do something very special for him or her this Valentine’s Day, here are ten great ideas to help you make your sweetheart feel special and loved.

1. Send a gift via BoonSpace.com – No matter where your sweetheart is! BoonSpace will help you get the perfect romantic and memorable gift to him or her this Valentine’s Day. This unique site allows couples to send ecards, photos and videos to each other, along with virtual gifts and animations. If you really want to express your love you can even send money as part of your gift so your valentine can buy themselves something special!

2. Make a Scrapbook or Photo Album – There are many sites like Smilebox.com and software like Picaboo and Picasa that will let you design incredible photobooks and albums with all your favorite memories - without the scissors, the glue and the mess. You can then share it online or even print it and then post it.

3. Watch a Movie Together – Defy the distance by doing things together. Set a time and date and meet up online to perhaps watch a movie or a TV show online. You can even play multiplayer games together.

4. Make a Mixtape – As John Cusack once famously said in High Fidelity, "there is a whole art to making a good compilation tape". It can be quite a romantic gesture bringing the songs you know your partner will love on a mixtape made especially for them. Now distance doesn’t have to get in the way of you delivering the perfect mixtape; Use Spotify playlists to share your compilation over the net.

5. Send a Love Letter or Poem – Remind your loved one how much you care about them by writing a letter or poem by hand and sending it via ‘snail-mail’.

6. Make it classified – Put a Classified Ad in your local newspaper with a message just for your sweetheart. You could also make it a bit more interesting by secretly encoding the message! You can then scan or post a copy of it to your loved one.

7. Flowers and Chocolates – A classic and time tested method of saying "I love you." Show and tell your sweetheart just how special he or she is by sending him her flowers with a box of chocolates.

8. Send a Message in a Bottle - Yet another way to say you care is by sending your loved one a personalized message in a bottle. This is a touching way of saying you care, especially since it symbolically represents the message traveling a long distance to reach its recipient.

9. Create a Love Box - If you want to make your long distance relationship not just work but be healthy and thriving romantically, then you will need to focus on life’s little things and be creative about the ways that you show your love. Create a love box to hold different things like perfumed letters, a poem by you, photographs, trinkets and any other little gifts that you can think of.

10. Love Tokens – Get some funny or romantic things made that remind you of your time together, and sent them to your loved one. You can even send images of them to him or her via email if the post option is closed to you.