Meaningfully Keeping in Touch with Friends over Long Distances
Elena Giorgi | Lifestyle Editor
Serena and Blair. Meredith and Christina. Cher and Dionne. Monica and Rachel. Eloise and Penelope. Friendship is at its finest when you have one arm laced through theirs and two brains that seemingly work like one.
Friendships can waiver when catching up is not as easy as meeting before class or at the library but instead requires a long car ride or plane trip. This doesn’t have to mean that your friendship must be put on the back burner, though. Keeping in touch with long distance friends may seem like a tall task, but with careful listening and good timing, your friendship can prosper.
Making time for these friendships when you are apart is the key. It might seem time-consuming to check in with all the people you haven’t seen in a while, but if you give it some of the same love you do when you’re together, you’re golden. Think of how easy as it is to slip into hours of conversation when you’re on a walk, grabbing drinks or lounging on a Sunday. A little distance doesn’t mean you have to put those talks on pause!
Oftentimes, summer break forces friends to scatter across the world – vacationing, studying or working. College students face the troubles of long-distance friendship pretty hard during this time. Whether you’re saying farewell for a few months until you’re back on campus or wishing them the best starting their career, change is not always an easy-going force.
Here’s a few tips to maintain strong friendships from wherever you may be:
Facetime or Zoom
Set an evening where all your friends are free and having a virtual party (thank you for this, COVID-19). Try grabbing a bowl of popcorn and all watching the same movie on Netflix so that you can talk about it like you would if you were together. If you need life updates from everyone, let each person chat for five minutes on what they’ve been up to and how they are – you can ask questions in the chat box. Tried and true, facetiming a friend to see their face and hear their voice will likely leave you both smiling at the end of the call.
Letters
Don’t knock it until you try it! There is something so loving and endearing about receiving a hand-written letter with your name on the front. Run to Target and find a card that reminds you of them, or make one at home on paper, and let them know you’re thinking of them (bonus points for including a photo of you together!). Taking the time to sit down and focus on a friend for a few minutes lets them know just how much you love and miss them. Ask engaging questions that they can reply to you with in a letter for you. Feel free to include a stamp if you are pulling for that reply letter.
Social Media
Pay attention to your friends’ socials! You can learn a lot about their day plans, recent crushes, mood swings and online shopping purchases from being a thoughtful viewer. Being a virtual hype woman, therapist or honest opinion helps friendship feel like it does when you are together. It is comforting having someone on the other end of the phone to rely on.
Text Message
Don’t undermine the power of a well-timed text message! Keep a note on your phone with a few important dates or goals your friends tell you about, and shoot them a text showing love and support. You probably do this all the time when you are together without realizing it, so showing that same empathy from afar will likely mean a lot. Check in on them and the things that are meaningful to them. Ask about their health, job, class schedule, family, living situation, or recent TV series binge if you need a starting off point.
Give Grace & Take A Little, Too
Keeping friendships strong over long distances takes some trial and error, so don’t fret if you feel like your spark is gone. Some friends prefer a weekly phone call over everyday texts and that is okay. Figuring out the best way to stay in touch can take some honest communication with your friend and yourself. Avoid committing to a phone call after work if you think you’ll be exhausted from the day. If you know your go-to for fashion advice is on work calls all day, it’s probably best to not call them six times in the Marshalls dressing room. All friendships take a little forward thought, especially from miles away. Until you meet again, send a text or make a call and dream of your next adventure together.
Elena Giorgi is a rising junior at Alabama with double majors in News Media and Political Science. She edits the Lifestyle section of Alice in between class, running and finding the best dessert in any town she’s in. Midwest born and bred, she hopes to continue working in the magazine industry post graduation.
