Ask anyone and they’ll tell you how hard long distance relationships are, but they’re normally talking about relationships with their significant other. Another kind of long distance relationship that sucks just as much is a long distance friendship. As much as we’d all like to, odds are we don’t go to the same college as our hometown BFFs. Thankfully, there are many different ways to make dealing with the distance a little easier.
Communicate.
Communication is key in any relationship/friendship. Make it a goal to text or Snapchat each other once a day. By keeping in close contact, you’ll be able to stay involved in each other’s lives. You should also come up with a time for Skyping or Facetiming each other; it’s definitely not the same as hanging out with each other, but it’s way better than just texting. Even if it’s just over the phone, talking to your long distance friends will make the distance between the two of you feel a lot smaller. You can also send them mail. It might be considered old fashioned, but it’s so exciting and thoughtful to get a handwritten letter or a package in the mail!
Keep each other updated.
New crush? Ridiculously hard class? Hilarious thing happened to you today? Tell your friends about it! By keeping each other updated on what’s happening, it’ll help you both feel more involved in each other’s lives and more connected to each other. Plus, it’s always nice to have someone you can confide in about anything, especially when that person already knows everything about you.
Visit!
I know, I know. We’re all broke college students with no money to spend on trips. But, there are ways to visit your BFF without breaking the bank. If you book your trip far enough in advance (usually about a month or so), Megabus offers bus rides for only $1! A lot of other bus companies have student deals, and the majority of schools have rideshare Facebook pages, too. On rideshare pages, people with cars post where they’re going and people can pay them to catch a ride. It might be a lot of work to go visit, but it’ll be fun to reunite, see your friend’s school and meet all of their new friends.
I know long distance friendships can be hard, but they’re definitely worth it, especially when the person means so much to you. By talking to each other and visiting, you can stay friends forever even without living near each other.