When you enter college, your friend group is often split in many different directions. When you graduate, it’s the same thing all over again. So, how do keep the friendship alive when you’re so far away from each other?
The phone works both ways
When you first go from seeing each other all the time in person to rarely getting that opportunity, it can feel unusual to talk mostly through texts or calls. Maybe you were roommates and saw each other every day, so your friendship didn’t necessarily require you to text all the time. It can feel unnatural to make this transition, but as soon as you realize you need to put effort in to keep in touch over the phone on a regular basis, the stronger your long-distance friendship will be. An easy way for me to do this without even thinking about it is to text my long-distance bestie about anything that happens during my day that I know I would immediately yap to her about if we were hanging out.
With this, it is also important to remember that your friend needs to be putting in some effort to text you first as well. Otherwise, it gets exhausting if you only ever talk to each other because the same person texts first every time. Sometimes people do this without even realizing they aren’t putting in their share of effort. If this happens, make sure to address it so that it is on their radar.
Always know your next meet-up
If possible, it helps so much to always have planned the next time you’ll be able to see each other. That way, you ensure that you make time for each other when you know you’ll be in the same area, or you have time planned out to go visit one another where they are. Life gets busy, so having something on the calendar helps to keep each other in your ever evolving lives. Texting and calling are great, but nothing is as good as having that time to meet up and debrief together in person.
Book the girls trip
There is nothing better after not seeing your girls for months than getting everyone together for a girls trip together. Having that time to make memories together, having multiple days to catch up on what everyone is up to lately, and having everyone in the same place like old times is so healing for female friendships. My college friends and I plan on trying our best to make an annual girls trip a reality in the future as we all are about to graduate. Having a tradition like this helps so much to keep everyone in each other’s lives as you all go off in your separate directions. It’s intentional, shows you value your friendship, and shows that you care about maintaining that connection in the long-run.
