One of the many side effects of the coronavirus pandemic has been the cancellation of in-person classes and the movement to online classes across college campuses nationally. With this announcement being released during spring break, students had to choose between staying at home with their parents or returning to their apartments at school. Although some students chose to return to Blacksburg or their respective college towns, many chose to stay home, including my friends and I. Today I sit at home in North Carolina, roughly 400 miles from my two best friends, missing them like crazy every day.
Long distance friendships are much different than long distance relationships; with long distance relationships, communication is necessary on a daily basis in order to maintain and grow the love you have for someone, whereas with long distance friendships, that’s not always the case. While I text daily with one of my friends, I sometimes go a few days without talking to the other, and that’s fine; the level of communication does not reflect on the strength of the friendship. But now that we’re hundreds of miles away, how can I make sure that my friendships don’t fade away? How can I still be in my friends’ lives if I’m unable to see them?
My friends and I have found ways to stay in touch from a distance, thus maintaining the close friendship we have. Thanks to the Internet, there are a plethora of options for us to choose from, such as FaceTime, texting and social media. One of my friends likes to have FaceTime “dates,” where we meet up and just talk about our lives for a couple hours. This is a great way to not only stay updated on everything that’s happening in her life but also to actually see her face and the environment she’s in, something you just can’t get over text. When I see that one of my friends has posted something on social media, whether it’s an Instagram post or tweet, I always try to engage with it somehow. By leaving a comment, replying to their story or liking their tweet, it shows that I’m interested in what they have to say and that I’m not going away. One of my favorite ways to stay in contact with my friends is playing Xbox while on FaceTime because even though there are miles between us, it feels like we’re playing together. Personally, there’s nothing better than screaming at the screen together as we play Call of Duty.
In addition to staying connected online, it’s also important to be creative and thoughtful with how you maintain your long distance friendships. I have plans to see my friends over the summer, that is if this whole pandemic thing has reached its end by then, and I can’t wait to go out, have some fun and just spend quality time together. Since I live at the beach, I’m excited to finally have the opportunity to show them around my hometown and make new memories together. Other occasions to keep in mind are holidays and birthdays because these are prime times to show your appreciation for your friends by sending them letters or gifts through the mail. Just because you can’t celebrate in person doesn’t mean you can’t still show them some love.
My friends mean the world to me and I value our friendships more than anything, but it’s been hard for me to get used to being so far from them. It’s been a struggle to understand that they have other friends, friends much closer than me, and that their lives go on without me when I’m not there. At the end of the day, I love my friends and want nothing but the best for them, even if that means I’m supporting them from afar. It makes me so proud when I see my friends out there thriving and growing into strong, beautiful women going after their dreams. Until school starts again this fall and we’re all back at school, I’ll be here, 400 miles away from my best friends, always cheering them on and sending them love.