How to survive a long distance friendship

We all want friends to sit at our table and to find “our tribe”. Occasionally we luck out and do find those special people we tie ourselves to indefinitely. We also find ourselves inevitably going through life transitions that put significant strain on our relationships. We leave for school, get married, have babies, or just move somewhere new and far away. As if finding friends to keep wasn’t hard enough, let the challenge begin.

How to keep things fresh from afar

When something major happens you know just who to call, make sure you acknowledge the weight of the situation on both ends of things. “Hey I’m moving across country” isn’t going to be met with “OMG YASSSSSS, I can’t wait to be thousands of miles away from you!!!“
You’re both going to have to go through a grieving process and that requires time and patience. Be there for each other as much as you can and remember it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. No matter how cliche it sounds. One of the greatest fears with separation is a loss of friendship. Here are some things you can do to stay checked in and having fun even from far away.

Communication

• Reach out daily with a text or phone call
• Write letters
• Video chat once a week
• Send small care packages
• Schedule phone calls for big life events (birthday/anniversaries)
• Use the Marco Polo app (video walkie-talkie anyone?)
• Send each other flowers
• Share a secret social media group just for family and close friends
• Snapchat, those filters brighten everyone’s day

Activities to do “together”

• Watch a movie/tv series together on video chat
• Go out for ice cream or dinner, like a date!
• Work out, this is great for self care and accountability
• Go on an evening walk
• Make dinner together
• Have a wine night
• Play a game together (words with friends, anyone?)
• Read the same book and share thoughts
• Learn a foreign language together
• Plan your next trip to see each other

Friendship lamp

Light up each others lives. No matter where you are. These in-sync lamps can be paired up. When you turn one on with a simple touch of your hand, its mate emits the same ambient glow, no matter where it is and who is on the other end. The lamp is setup via Wi-Fi. Your friend reaches out and touches the lamp whenever they want to let you know they’re thinking of you. With every touch, the lamp cycles through a rainbow of colors, one at a time. You can also assign each lamp a color so that when it is tapped the other lamp lights up with their special hue. 

The options are endless. It all boils down to dedicating time to your communication. Give them a call and ask what special something they would like to do with you during your time apart.
There is no love like that of a bestie and don’t you test these besties!!

xoxo, Caarin