<p>My boyfriend of a few months is going abroad next semester (so lame!!) and he's coming out to visit me next week before he ships out. I want to give him his birthday present when he visits so he can open it a few months later on the actual day. Any ideas? It needs to be carry-onable and easy to pack. I'd love your input! </p>
<p>He's going to South Africa. Why would anyone go to Durban, South Africa? I guess if you're from Rhode Island, you'll do anything to escape. You'd think being in New Orleans (we go to Tulane /Toolame) would be wild enough for him, but noooo, he has to go to South Africa. Maybe he doesn't even like me? I feel like if he did he just wouldn't go. </p>
<p>Anyway! Back to my point! Birthday gift ideas! Send 'em my way, please and thanks!</p>
<p>Wow Durban SOuth Africa!?! That sounds sooo amazing! Your boyfriend must be an awesome guy and you should be grateful that you found someone so cool! Seriously, don’t take him for granted. Anyways, here are some birthday ideas that any college guy is sure to love:
-Tandem bike: what’s the best way to prove to everyone that you’re the cutest couple on campus? Ride to every class together! Sure, it’s not very practical, and your friends may be too embarassed to talk to you, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices!<br>
-Matching sweaters: People still not convinced how great of a couple you are after the tandem bike? Buy matching sweaters! This is sure to increase your couple status from just plain annoying to vomit-inducing. Soon you’ll be the couple that no one can tolerate for more than 30 seconds, but that’s okay because you’ll be so damn cute in your matching sweaters that it won’t matter! Sweaters can be themed (i.e. christmas, animal, etc.) to increase the ralph-factor. (Bonus points if you buy one giant sweater that the two of you can wear at the same time).
-Segway: this one speaks for itself
-Pug: I’m assuming your boyfriend is living off campus next year? He probably wants a housewarming gift for his apartment when he returns from Africa. The pug is a perfect companion for any college-aged male. It’s small enough that he can take it to class for some company, but still intimidating enough to scare off potenital home-invaders. ANd its soooo cute with its little wrinkled up face!!! Also, if you help him feed/walk the dog, it will be good practice for the many children that the two of you will eventually have.
-New drum set: who doesn’t want a new effing drum set?!</p>
<p>Well that’s all I got for you right now. I don’t know how “carry-onable” these ideas are but Im sure you can make them work. You seem creative. Good luck!</p>
<p>His suitcases are already going to be full, I wouldn’t advise giving him anything to just load him down further. </p>
<p>Focus on an ‘experience’ more than anything tangible. Have a romantic dinner, go to the movies, skydiving, or just have sex like College boy Swag said (as pervy as that sounds).</p>
<p>Wait, what? He wants to have an amazing experience abroad AND he’s coming to visit you before he leaves because he doesn’t like you? In what weird world does that make any sense?</p>
<p>Definitely break up with him. He clearly isn’t as committed to you as you’d like, since he’s leaving to study abroad…the nerve of him! Getting a once in a lifetime experience AND visiting you before he leaves?! Definitely give him the boot!</p>
<p>I would give him the gift of sex but he doesn’t really like it. He already has an ipod already, not sure about the headphones but just those might be boring. I definitely can’t afford a Segway, and he told me he hates pugs! He said they’re the ugliest and snuffliest type of dog there is. </p>
<p>Anyways, I’m kinda glad to know you guys agree with me that he shouldn’t go abroad! When I told him that he was really defensive and mean about it. But now that I have a little backup it just totally showed me how right my instincts are. I’m going to have to have a SERIOUS talk with him when he visits next week.</p>
<p>Matching sweaters are a maybe right now, but I don’t know, what kind? Plus I don’t wear wool, so that might complicate things…</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice so far guys! Anymore ideas floating around out there?</p>
<p>Oh, and no he’s not military, I suppose I was being a bit flippant with my vocabulary :)</p>
<p>I’m going to say this before anybody else - the above posters were being sarcastic. It’s not selfish of your boyfriend to study abroad in South Africa because it truly is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.</p>
<p>I’m not sure what kind of materialistic gift you can get him that would be cute and personal and still fit in his suitcase and not be a dead giveaway. Honestly, what I would do is give him a few folded, romantic, handwritten notes with different dates written on each of them, maybe on the day of your x-month anniversary. The idea is that he’d open one of those each month. My girlfriend and I do the handwritten note thing for month anniversaries, and it works really well.</p>
<p>On the OP’s behalf- I actually do know some guys who aren’t huge fans of sex (and yes the girl is doing it right). I think the OP’s trollin, but I’m just sayin’.</p>
<p>Well he likes other things that aren’t sex per se, okay gang? You guys are freakin harsh! It’s just that he wanted to save himself for marriage but I kinda (selfishly? lol you decide!) talked him into not waiting.</p>
<p>Whoever said I should dump him for his own good is mean. </p>
<p>Anyway, thanks for the ideas, I think I thought of something on my own :)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Wow, you do seem kinda needy. Your boyfriend is going abroad because its a once in a lifetime opportunity, and rightfully so. He isn’t going abroad because he doesn’t like you. Don’t be one of those people that holds their boyfriend back- you don’t need attention all the time.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t know how you think most people on this thread agree with you. I know that sarcasm is usually hard to see on the internet, but it seemed pretty obvious here.</p></li>
<li><p>South Africa is a pretty awesome place. There is a ton of culture, and they have some awesome game parks (speaking from experience). And you also study abroad to broaden your horizons and get some new perspective. Something that everyone (including you) should consider doing if possible.</p></li>
<li><p>As far as gifts, I second the letters/notes. It doesn’t take up much room, and its a lot more personalized than most store-bought gifts. Or maybe you could ask for his address once he’s there and ship stuff out to him a couple days before his birthday?</p></li>
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