I’ve known my best friend since we were both 18 months old. She loves rock climbing, hiking, biking, and anything outdoorsy. She’s brilliant, super kind, and makes me laugh until I cry. When we were college searching, I knew we wouldn’t end up going to the same school, but I didn’t know that I would be almost one thousand miles from her. She goes to school in Vermont, where she goes rock climbing every weekend, and all of her friends love the outdoors. I am so happy that she found a place where she can practically live outdoors, but at the same time it is so hard to talk with her when we are both extremely busy with school or activities. Even though I’ve only spent one semester here at DePauw, I think I’ve learned how to cope with the distance pretty well.
Step 1: Text Each Other
Every day, my friend and I text. Even if it’s a “hi, how are you” type of thing, we text. We check in on each other and make sure that school isn’t getting TOO crazy. We text pictures of our friends from school, pictures of our dogs, pictures of really anything. We love to remind each other that even though we are so far apart, our decade and a half of friendship can’t be forgotten and will only become stronger.
Step 2: Find Time To FaceTime
Over time, I’ve come to realize that there is nothing better than getting a FaceTime call from my best friend. I’ll be sitting in my room, doing homework or folding laundry, and my day will be instantly brightened by talking to her for even five minutes. Finding any time that we both have free in our hectic schedules is a blessing, and we use every minute of it to talk to each other or even to do homework together over FaceTime, kind of like it was in high school.
Step 3: Surprise Them!
My friend doesn’t have a fall break like DePauw, so over my break I went to Vermont to visit her and to spend some quality time with her. I met her friends, ate a lot of good food, and had a lot of laughs. Even if I can’t find a way to see my best friend in person, I make a box full of little surprises. I send her favorite candy or something that reminds her of me or even write a long handwritten letter. Every once in a while, I’ll send her an e-card or a GIF that has some inside joke in it, and even that makes the difference. Just trying and putting in the effort to be their best friend is what will keep the friendship going.
If all else fails, just keep texting. I haven’t always been available to talk on FaceTime, and I haven’t always had the money to send little gifts to my best friend, but a little text takes less than a minute, and it truly makes a world of a difference. If anything, I have learned that friendships take work, but the work doesn’t always have to be difficult. It can be as simple as a few words, just checking up on them. I never forget that we’ve had almost two decades of friendship; nothing can come in between us, not even one thousand miles.