Single-handedly, the worst part about growing up for me is that I now have friends scattered across the country.
It doesn’t help that I was raised in a region of transplants — AKA the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. Ever since I was little, I became accustomed to new friends transferring in and out of my school system. I’d have to guess that nearly half of my friends growing up were military kids, or their parents had some high-level position that caused them to move around quite frequently.
I’ve seen friends come and go from my city, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve lost touch with them. Most of my friends from high school and college started to move across the country to pursue their dreams. Not to mention, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to meet so many talented bloggers who live in all different parts of the world with all of the conferences and press trips I’ve been on over the years.
Maintaining a long distance friend when you live several states away takes a bit of effort, but it’s completely worth it. Here are some things I do to help sustain those relationships!
Send Your Long Distance Friend Inexpensive Gifts When You Can
I’m a huge, huge fan of snail mail. Seriously, I geek out whenever I get something in the mail that’s not a bill! I used Greetabl for the first time back in February, and I was hooked. It’s the cutest, most affordable way to send an affordable gift and personalized card to your BFFs near and far.
The process is super simple: first, you’ll head to your website, and choose the print you’d like to be featured on the box, as well as your gift of choice. These gifts range in price from $3 to $30, so you can always find something that works for your budget. Since I couldn’t physically ship a bottle of champagne for my friend’s birthday this year, I decided to get her an adorable champagne tray.
Here’s where you really get to personalize your Greetabl gift: you’ll then be prompted to write your own personal message on the card, and you can select three images of your choice to be printed on the card. You can either pull these images from Instagram or upload them from your own computer. The best part? These images easily detach from the card, so your gift recipient can either frame them or hang them on their fridge. Super cute, right?
Want a free Greetable? Head here to sign up for Greetabl insider, and get a $20 credit! Also, use promo code “ALICIATENISE” for 15% off.
Schedule FaceTime Dates
Sometimes, just texting and keeping up with each other’s social media posts aren’t enough. That’s when FaceTime comes in handy.
FaceTime (or Skype or Google Hangouts!) works wonders because you get that much-needed face-to-face time with your long distance friend. Have fun with your FaceTime sessions. Sometimes my friend and I will watch The Bachelorette together and laugh at all the macho contestants, or have a virtual wine night and spill all of the week’s gossip. The possibilities are endless!
Make a Vacation Out of Visiting One Another
The beauty of a long-distance friendship? Your friends are probably moving to places that are way cooler than your hometown. If not, at least it’s a great change of scenery!
Take turns visiting each other. If you’re really long-distance, I like to monitor flights on Google to find some of the best flight deals around. I love traveling because even the tiniest of towns can surprise you. It’s always good to explore and discover new parts of the world — why not do it in your BFF’s city?
You Might Not Speak Every day — And That’s Cool
Listen: we’ve all got a lot on our plates. The great thing about a long distance friend is that they’re the kind of people where you can pick up right where you left off. If you go for weeks without speaking to each other, it doesn’t mean that you don’t care about the person. You can still have a strong friendship without speaking to each other every minute of the day. The only stipulation? Both parties have to make an effort every once in a while to connect!
How do you maintain relationships with a long distance friend?
Thank you to Greetabl for partnering with me on today’s post! All thoughts and opinions are my own. Use code “ALICIATENISE” for 15% off your Greetabl purchase.
