Long distance friendships are always hard. Especially during a pandemic, it’s hard to plan things that you can do with your friends, even if they aren’t extremely far away. Whether you have only met them recently or known them for years, it can be hard to keep a long distance friendship going strong. Here are 11 great things you can do to keep your friendships thriving, no matter how much distance separates you!
- Physical Letters/Small Gifts
-
One of my favorite things to do with my friends is send them physical, handwritten letters or small gifts to let them know I am thinking of them. Something about receiving something in their handwriting makes it feel so much more personal. Writing out anything, whether it be a funny story about your day or something that reminded you of your friend, and sending it their way is a great way to keep your connection strong.
- Make Collaborative Playlists
-
Another amazing thing that me and my friends discovered recently is collaborative playlists. On Spotify, you can create a playlist and share the link with your friends. Anyone with the link can add songs to the playlist, and it is a really awesome way to stay connected. You can see who added which songs, and it is so cool to have a little glimpse of what your friends are listening to on a daily basis.
- Movie Nights
-
Zoom is great for a lot of things, one being screen sharing. You can gather your friends on a Zoom call and have a night where you watch movies, TV shows or even YouTube videos together and chat about them. It is just like having a movie night together in real life, but in a way that can bring everyone together no matter where you are!
- Regular Check-Ins
-
Scheduling calls to check in on whatever basis works best for you is a great way to make sure you don’t lose touch. Whether it be weekly or monthly, make sure you have a set time to catch up with your friends. It will make things feel normal to hear about what is going on in their lives and share things happening with your own.
- Watch a Reality Show Together
-
Whether it be the Bachelor or The Voice, picking a fun reality competition show every week is a great way to keep in touch. You can text each other during the shows and you will always have something to talk about. It allows for you to discuss who you are rooting for, and lets you share something with each other that happens every single week.
- Virtual Happy Hour
-
Virtual happy hours or dinner nights are great ways to get your friend group together. Have everyone make a fun drink or meal and sit together and eat! You can even try to convince your friends to dress up to make it a little more fun. It mimics a restaurant setting and gives you a reason to get up and try a new recipe.
- Schedule Game Nights Together Virtually
-
There are so many great online games that you can play with a group of friends. Two that stick out to me as fun ones to play with friends are any of the Jackbox Party Packs and Gartic Phone. Jackbox has a large variety of games to choose from and Gartic Phone is a hilarious version of the “Telephone Game” that relies on the drawing skills of the group (but in my opinion, the worse drawings make a better game). Online game nights are an awesome way to have a ton of laughs as a group.
- Online Shopping Dates
-
Online shopping is more prominent than ever, so why not do a “mall trip” but online. Take turns sharing your screens on different online shopping sites and pick out clothes together. It is a fun experience that makes you feel like you are just going on a shopping trip with a group of friends.
- Monthly Mood Boards
-
Another really cool thing to do is have a group of friends each do a monthly mood board for themselves, then get together to share them on a Zoom call. It gives a little inside insight into what each of your friends couldn’t get enough of during the past month, and you might even find similarities in your boards.
- Book Club
-
A virtual book club is a really fun way to keep connected. Pick a book as a group and set up when you should be done with certain chapters of it. Organize a group call and discuss what you have read, as well as setting up a space for any discussion about aspects of the book that might follow. Finding a common ground like a book is an amazing way to make sure there is something you have to talk about.
- Touch Bracelets
-
If you are looking for a bit of a more expensive option, touch bracelets are really cool ways to keep in touch- literally. Both owners of the bracelets can send a touch over to the other to let them know they are thinking of them. It is almost as if they reached out and touched you even though they can be on the other side of the world. It is a really cool reminder to have on your wrist wherever you go that keeps your friend or partner by your side.
There are endless fun ways to keep connected regardless of a long distance. By trying some of these things, it won’t even feel like you are missing out on things. Long distance friendships are hard, but you can find so many ways to make them just as fun.