5 Essential Tips to Save Your Long-Distance Friendship

Friends are one of the most important relationships that you can have. They make you laugh, go on adventures with you, cheer you up when you’re down, and are there for you no matter what. Friendships are one of the best support systems that a person could have, but what happens if that support is far away? If you’re in college, have moved around, or have a friend that has moved, you’ve probably experienced a long-distance friendship. Whether the distance is one hour, six hours, or more, these relationships can be hard to maintain. If you find yourself struggling to keep that connection, or are simply looking to spice up your long distance friendship, here are a few helpful tips!  

One of the hardest things about long-distance friendships is not being able to actually see each other. If this is something you’re struggling with, try setting up weekly time to do a video call.  Whether this is through Skype, Zoom, or Facetime, a video call is a great way to make your friend feel just a little bit closer. 

If you and your friend love to read, a virtual book club is a great way to stay connected. You and your friend pick a book together and set a date to meet virtually and discuss what you've read: your favorite moments, characters you love, what you think so far, how you think it’s going to end, etc. If you want to add an extra personal touch, you and your friend could take turns picking the book, and choose books that remind you of each other. 

Do you and your long-distance bestie love the same show? If so, texting back and forth while watching the new episode is a great idea. Regardless of the content, “live-texting” is a great way to feel like you and your friend are sitting on the couch watching the show together. 

No time to chat that day? No worries, sometimes a picture is all you need! This could be as simple as a quick selfie, or maybe you did something exciting that day and share a picture from that. The picture doesn’t need to be professional quality either (best friends don’t care about a little blurriness); a quick snapchat works just as well. 

Whether it's sent directly to each other, or posted on social media, an occasional throwback is a great way for you and your bestie to show that you're thinking of eachother. Reminiscing on old memories and adventures is a great way to make eachother laugh, and helps you remember happy times in your friendship. Throwback photos are also a great way to get excited for the next time you’ll see each other, and maybe give some inspiration for your next bestie adventure.

Written by: Alexa Rosenberger

Instagram: @lex.gabrielle_

Twitter: @alexagabrie11e