Since the start of the fall semester, there have been several changes made due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This includes changing from online school and being remote to not being able to hang out with friends. Being away from friends can take a toll on your relationship with them, especially if they live out of state. I can say from personal experience that it is hard to maintain a friendship when you both do not have time to talk every day. I personally had a best friend who I lived with for 3 years at GCU but unfortunately she was unable to come back to campus for the fall semester due to the pandemic. It has definitely been hard not being able to talk to her every day but we manage to keep in touch as much as possible. Nevertheless, here are some tips to continue a strong long distance friendship with your best friend!
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Have fun with texting! Living far away from friends does not mean you are not able to keep communication afloat. Find different outlets to talk to your friends such as sending snapchats, memes through Instagram, or even creating group chats to keep the relationship alive. Although you do not need to talk every day, it is always good to remind them that you care and still want them to be a part of your life!
Paul Hanaoka -
Create times to hangout. Quarantine has forced all of us to develop new ways to hang out with each other virtually. For instance, on Fridays my best friend and I both reserve time in order to see each other and we watch Netflix together through the virtual party feature. It is cool to know that we are able to watch a movie at the same time and also talk as if we were in person. We also designate days where we plan to facetime each other and talk about how our weeks went. This way, we are able to keep the conversation alive and also develop a new way to hangout.
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Do not be afraid to say how you feel. I believe one of the reasons friendships die is because there is a lack of communication between both parties. I have lost communication with several individuals because I do not see them often, but that does not mean we are not friends naymore. Being able to communicate with your friends and be honest about how things have changed will encourage you to be more open. I have a hard time telling friends how I truly feel; however, once we talk about how we have become distant, we both acknowledge how we will try harder to keep in contact. Just be aware that people change and so do friendships, so do not be hard on yourself when it comes to not having the same relationship as before!
