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It is not uncommon for many people in fast paced, creative industries make friends who don’t live nearby. With ever changing job markets, many people find themselves moving away from close friends at various times of their lives. Luckily, we live in a time when it is a lot easier to stay in contact with friends, regardless of where they live. Not only do I have good friends on both of America’s coasts, I also have good friends in England and Australia. Below are some of the ways that we keep in touch.
Snail Mail
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the surprise of receiving a letter or a card in his or her mailbox. Since so many of my friends live out of the area (and I am completely obsessed with stationary), I collect cards to send to them on random days. I think it is important to remember birthday cards, thank you cards, congratulations cards, and all the other card “themes” but I think it is equally as important to sometimes send a card to just say hello. It’s a perfect way to let your friend know that even though you live miles and miles apart, her friendship still means a lot to you.
Face Time/Skype
I am a huge fan of Face Time and I use it often to connect with friends and family. I especially love it during the holidays. We can’t all be in the same place at the same time but we can definitely use the computer to make it feel as if we are. I also love Face Time for long “face to face” heart to hearts with friends who I don’t get to see often. Just make sure you have a fast internet connection or else it can end up being more annoying than fun.
Phone Calls
It’s not always convenient to Face Time or Skype, which is why phone calls are important. Texting can be impersonal and while it can be a great way to quickly share small bits of information, you should wait to share more important stuff while on the phone.
Weekly Emails
Sometimes, despite my best efforts, life gets way too busy and much too stressful. If I find myself with no time to communicate with my closet friends then I always have my email plan to fall back on. Every Sunday morning, I carve out some time to send weekly emails to any close friends or family members that I haven’t been able to catch up with all week.
Travel Together
One of the best ways to stay close to your long distance friends is to travel together! You are not able to see each other often so when you do see each other, you should make it as memorable as possible. Exploring new places and going on new adventures together is the perfect way to do that. Even just planning the trip together provides a fun experience. If possible, you can travel with all of your friends from various places in one trip!
Do you have a best friend who lives far away? How do you manage to keep your friendship strong?
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