Cool autumn air is only beginning to creep its way through the trees of Kenyon College. Campus life is in full swing as we all attend class, head to practice, meetings, and engage in local activities. All this excitement and energy is also met with a degree of sadness. There are people that all of us have inevitably left behind: best friends, highschool sweethearts, parents, siblings–the list could continue on forever. Needless to say, everyone ranging from first-years to seniors goes through a period of long distance with those they love.
But that doesn’t mean long distance has to be a frightening spectre in a relationship. In fact, long distance can be fun and bountiful. So here are a few ways that you can stay in touch with those you care about, coming from a junior who has some experience in the long distance department.
Online It Is
For better or for worse, technology is one of the best tools to connect anyone from anywhere. There are so many different outlets for you and your loved ones to choose from. So, here are my top online programs and apps that allow me to forget that my people are hours away.
Finch: Self-Care Pet
Finch is a wonderful app that not only promotes self-care but includes an interactive platform that connects you to your friends and family. The purpose of the app is to grow and care for your own personal finch pal. Through completing daily tasks/goals set for yourself, you can take your finch on adventures and customize their appearance and room. But the best part lies in the friend feature where you can invite loved ones to connect with your Finch community. You can create a common goal with that person and encourage each other to complete it everyday. For example, my partner and I share the goal: “Do One Thing That Makes You Happy.” You can also send little boosts of encouragement throughout the day that range from “good morning” to “hugs.” When you receive a notification of encouragement or a little boost of gratitude, you feel that much closer to your person.
Lofi.town
Lofi.town is a cute online platform that encourages studying for long distance friends and partners. When you sign into the platform, you are met with a cozy atmosphere of assorted rabbits roaming around a quaint autumnal town. You can customize your own rabbit avatar and are encouraged to decorate your own private burrow. Some of the other features include a weekly and daily task bar that encourages you to explore the different maps affixed to the platform. There is also a pomodoro timer that allows you to study with minimal distractions. The best part of the whole platform is the ability to create private rooms with your friends and partners. Need to study at your individual institution, no problem! The feature makes it appear that your buddy is right there with you. It is a simple way to feel a bit less lonely in the throws of homework.
BeReal
I know, I know. The app is definitely out of its prime, but it is such an easy way to keep people updated. For those who don’t know, BeReal is an app that reminds you to send a photo of what you are doing to your friends. It seems silly to send a random photo of you walking, eating, or studying, but small moments like these matter. It makes everyone in these long distance relationships feel like a part of the routine. And if you don’t have BeReal or don’t want it, no problem. You could implement your own version where you simply send a photo of what you are doing on the hour. At the end of the day, your bestie, partner, brother, sister, (whoever!) can compare lives while you are apart.
Get Off Your Phone
No, seriously, you don’t need it. Think of all the people that suffered long distance without cell phones. Imagine that. It’s been done before and I’m going to show you some ways to do it again.
Letters
Now how many of you know calligraphy? I’m kidding, honestly. But the art of letter writing is a dying one. Women used to sit on their settees penning their affection to their lover at war or their companion abroad–My dear, it pains me each day you are gone. I long to hear your voice once again. I’m not saying you need to sharpen your quill and set about the page with intense passion, but taking a little time out of your day to write to the person you love is therapeutic. The letter doesn’t have to be complex; simply write about how wonderful your day was or how excited you are to meet up with your loved one once more. Receiving a letter always puts a smile onto my face because I know that person kept me in their mind during the day. Give it a try. A little bit of ballpoint pen and paper could never hurt.
Physical Books
Now, this can go in a few different directions. The first option is simply reading the same physical book as your friend, partner, or family member. It can act as your own personal book club. However, the method that I prefer is sharing a singular physical book between your loved ones. The object of this activity is to annotate the book of choice. Each person who reads is assigned a different color to write their thoughts. The beauty lies when you open the book to see an annotated rainbow. Now, this method works for any book: long form and short form fiction, nonfiction, poetry. You name it, it works. I also recommend that each annotator goes wild with their notes. The more intense, the better–who doesn’t want a good question to ponder or an audacious comment to laugh at? The bolder the better.
See, long distance isn’t the boogie man that everyone makes it out to be. There are ample ways to connect and bond with loved ones that are rewarding online and off. From shared goals to shared ideas, relationships don’t have to rely on the same old methods of communication. Facetime is great, but there are other ways to be intentional with your time. So when you’re ever finding yourself stuck in the same old habits, maybe these methods can help you and your loved ones rekindle old times.