Senior year of high school is filled with fun events to conclude your high school career. Time is basically carved out for you to spend time with your besties and get closer to people you’ve been going to school with for years. Suddenly it’s graduation and everyone heads in different directions for summer. Before you know it, you’ve said your goodbyes and moved miles away from one another for college. Staying connected with busy schedules, different time zones, and staying present at your school can sometimes make staying connected to your friends back home hard. Thankfully, there are ways to check up on your besties that allow each of you to be present at your respective colleges:
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Write handwritten letters: Receiving a letter in the mail will make your friend’s day, and it allows both people to respond on their own time. You can write about life or surprise them with a best friend love letter, expressing what you love about them and how thankful you are to have them in your life.
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Similarly, try vlogging: My friends and I began vlogging together as a joke, but wound up sending them to one another. It’s another way to respond on your own time and include everything in a video. It’s also nice to hear and see the other person!
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Simple gestures: Sometimes you don’t have time to have a full conversation, but there are simple ways to let your friends know that you’re thinking of them; you can send them a screenshot of a song your listening to that reminds you of them, direct message them a funny meme or inspiring quote on instagram, or text them a simple goodmorning or goodnight text on the way to class or before you go to sleep.
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Find a time to talk on the phone: On Thursdays, I have a friend in Texas who calls me during her fifteen minute walk to class, which works perfect since I don’t have any classes on Thursdays. Talking on the phone, whether it’s for a few minutes or an hour, always leaves me feeling like I can tackle the day.
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Plan what y’all will do next time you guys are together again: Having something to look forward to can get you through the days that are especially hard. Whether it’s baking brownies or seeing a new movie you both want to see, planning the day that you guys will finally be reunited is fun and full of endless possibilities!
I hope that you find these suggestions helpful, but that you also keep in mind that it’s okay to not talk to your friends back home all the time. Sometimes weekly calls turn into monthly calls, and that’s alright. Life gets busy and true friendship will withstand time and distance! You’ll pick right back up where you left off next time y’all are together again.