Last year, I moved from where I grew up in Idaho to go to college at Belmont, conveniently located across the country. I knew that moving from my home state was the best choice, but the hardest thing (besides leaving my family and my dog), was leaving my best friend. Long distance friendships suck, but this is how I’m surviving and how you can, too:
Texting:
This might seem like an obvious one, but when you’re both in college and majoring in things that require a lot more work than you’d originally thought, it can be hard to focus on anything except your 8 page essay. Text her a line about your latest boy drama, your opinion on the midterm elections, or take a second to complain about your workload. Even if she doesn’t respond right away, you’re still staying connected.
Facetime:
Plan a night every week or two to call and catch up on what’s been going on in your lives! Even if you’ve been texting, there’s always something more you’ll want to tell her. You can rant, ask advice, or plan for the next time you’ll see each other. It’s an easy way to pretend you’re not really as far apart as you are. Sob.
Send Music:
My best friend and I have extremely different music tastes, so we would constantly be introducing each other to new songs whenever we hung out. Since we rarely see each other in person, we’ll text screenshots of new songs the other person should listen to. I’ve found a lot of great music this way, and I’ve even started some new friendships because of the music she’s sent me!
Send Gifts:
This one is a lot easier than you’d think and it’s a great way to span the distance. Send her cute holiday socks from the dollar section at Target, or write her a letter and fill the envelope with cute stickers for her laptop. Who doesn’t love getting mail, especially when it’s from their best friend???
Swap College Gear:
If you can’t think of anything to get each other for Christmas because you’ve already used up all the good ideas, try swapping sweatshirts from your respective colleges next holiday season. Whether you show them off or just wear them to bed, this can close the distance, even if it’s just by an inch.
It’s hard being away from the person you’re closest to, but it can also strengthen your friendship. If your friendship can survive the distance, it can survive anything!
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