How to Maintain Long-Distance Friendships

Creating a social circle that celebrates your achievements, supports you in times of need, and creates long-lasting memories is a necessity in any phase of life. Having someone to talk to about all the highs and lows of your days, weeks, and even years can make the joyful moments even sweeter and make the hurtful moments sting less. While having the opportunity to hang out with friends on the weekends or meet up for study sessions and lunch on weekdays is great, not every friendship has that opportunity.

I’ve definitely faced the challenges that come with long-distance friends. One of my best friends lives over 2,000 miles away from me, and although she visits a few times a year, it’s definitely not the same as having a short drive to see other friends. Whether you meet someone online or someone you know moves away to a different state, keeping up a connection with someone you can’t see in person can be difficult. Although difficult, keeping a stable friendship while being long-distance isn’t impossible. If you’re struggling to maintain a long-distance friendship and need some advice on how to keep your bond strong, here are a couple of ways to do just that!

Video Chatting

One of the biggest struggles with a long-distance friendship is scheduling conflicts. With the responsibilities of school, jobs, and spending time with others, it can be hard to figure out a time to chat. In person, there’s the luxury of meeting up for short periods of time or seeing each other at group gatherings, but long-distance friends don’t have that luxury. 

It can be difficult to find a time that works for both of you, but blocking out a time during your day to catch up with your long-distance friend can help you both keep up with each other’s lives. Social media is a great tool to share bits and pieces of your daily activities and life, but there are many things that you don’t share online that your friends might want to be updated on. I talk to most of my long-distance friends daily or at least a few times per week to catch up on our lives.

While convenient, texting isn’t always the best form of communication. While texting you, you lose the joy of hearing your friend’s voice and seeing them. While it’s not physical, it’s still such a great feeling to hear and see the emotions of your friend. Several apps offer face-to-face communication online, such as FaceTime, Google Meet, and WhatsApp. 

Even though it’s online, talking face-to-face also creates a window of opportunity for conversations to flow naturally, as texting can be awkward at times. Conversations become more cohesive when you can talk without having to wait for a response. This allows conversations to stray from the original topic, which can lead to more personal and interesting talk. 

While video chatting isn’t always the most convenient option, it’s a great way to feel like you’re sitting with your friend in person, rather than just talking over the phone. Strengthening a long-lasting connection and showing your friend that you care and support them, regardless of the distance, shows your appreciation for them.

Creating Traditions

Another way to keep up relationships with long-distance friends is by creating a personal tradition for the two of you. A great, personal thing to do for a friend is to write letters. Talking over the phone gives you a quicker response, but writing letters is a great keepsake for both of you, and you can get super creative with your letters. 

One way to spice up letters is by including gifts such as stickers, trinkets, or drawing a cute picture for your friend to hang up in their room. I’ve mailed letters back and forth to friends of mine, including little paintings, stickers, and even little games we can mail back and forth. One friend of mine sent me a tic-tac-toe board that we sent back and forth until one of us won. It took almost a month to finish, but it was a great experience.

Physical media also creates such a personal connection. I’ve kept just about every letter and card I’ve gotten, even hanging some of them up on my wall as a reminder of the attentiveness of my loved ones. Taking the time to write something, rather than simply sending a text and going about your day, is much more personal and shows dedication to your friendships. 

Other personal traditions can include creating a weekly routine for both of you to follow. A friend of mine has a tradition with her long-distance friend where every Wednesday, they each get a fun drink and chat for 30 minutes, almost like a coffee date. Now, 30 minutes might not seem like a long time to talk, but having a specific chance to discuss weekly events or update each other on long-term plans creates anticipation and gets you excited to chat with your friend. 

Whatever your little tradition may be, doing something special between you and your friend helps to keep your relationship thriving while being so far apart. 

Visiting in Person

The final tip I have for strengthening your bond with a long-distance friend is to plan a trip to see each other. You might be able to do this often, but it’s one I still consider worth mentioning. Even with a planned trip up ahead, it’s much easier to feel connected. Planning a trip can also be quite expensive, with transportation and time off from work and school, which can be costly. Even spending a few days together in person can help make those phone calls or traditions feel even sweeter. 

I’ve had the privilege of getting to fly to visit long-distance friends a few times, and I’ve had long-distance friends fly down to stay with me for a few days. Every time we part ways, it makes me cherish our friendship more than anything. One way we’re able to see each other is by searching for cheap flight prices and planning trips around prices. If there’s a significantly cheaper flight for a Monday-Wednesday trip rather than a Friday-Sunday trip, although slightly more inconvenient, we’ll book those dates. 

Even if your trip is a couple of days once a year, getting to catch up in person and do things you wouldn’t usually be able to is beneficial to your relationships. While it isn’t always a possibility, and it may take time to save up, I truly recommend it if you’re able to. 

Long-distance friendships are ones that I consider to be even stronger than in-person friendships due to the amount of effort required for them to thrive. Having to go out of your way to communicate with someone you can’t physically be with in a world full of other responsibilities shows dedication and appreciation for that relationship. Although it’s not the most convenient of situations and truly tests the bond you and your friend have, it’s worth it to know that you can have such a meaningful impact on someone’s life, even if they’re states away.

• #college #friendships #relationships #support #dormlife #wellness
• best friend
• bonding
• bonds
• college
• connections
• facetime
• flights
• life
• long distance
• traditions