13 Strategies for Maintaining Long-Distance Friendships in College Or Work
We all know the drill. Life picks up speed, morphing our paths from parallel lines to many directions. One friend trades the hometown skyline for a college dorm view, while another swaps familiar faces for new colleagues in a bustling city. It’s the age-old tale of growing up and carving out our niches. Yet, in the heart of all this whirlwind change, we yearn to hold onto the friendships that have colored our world with joy, laughter, and endless stories. But how do you keep the camaraderie alive when miles stretch between you and your squad?
Here’s a dose of real talk from 13 savvy individuals who’ve been there, done that, and have unlocked some strategies to keep the heartbeats of friendship echoing, regardless of the zip codes separating them. Whether stepping onto a college campus or into a new job arena, these nuggets of wisdom are your toolkit for nurturing long-distance friendships amidst the new chapters unfolding in your life.
- Leverage Technology and Traditional Methods
- Initiate a “Memory-Swap Box” Tradition
- Establish Monthly Virtual Hangouts
- Plan Activities Based on Shared Interests
- Use Spontaneous Voice Notes
- Embrace Change and Give Space
- Maintain Weekly Group Calls
- Bond Over Shared Hobbies
- Schedule Regular Virtual Coffee Dates
- Organize Festive Season Gatherings
- Start a Long-Distance Book Club
- Plan Visits to Friends
- Set Clear Expectations in Friendships
1. Leverage Technology and Traditional Methods
Maintaining long-distance relationships, like anything worthwhile, takes effort. Technology can prompt connections for birthdays, anniversaries, or other key dates. Downtime at airports can be utilized to text and call. Even though it’s old school, everyone loves receiving cards in the mail. I often buy a stack and, while waiting at doctor’s offices or for car maintenance, fill out cards to send to long-distance friends and family. It can be done!
Lorraine Bossé-Smith, Chief Solutions Officer, Concept One LLC
2. Initiate a “Memory-Swap Box” Tradition
When I began my professional journey, I initiated a tradition of “Memory-Swap Boxes” with my long-distance friends. Every six months, we’d curate a small box filled with trinkets, local snacks, photos, and other memorabilia from our current experiences. Sending and receiving these boxes became an exciting event, offering a tactile and sensory connection to each other’s worlds, making our friendship feel close despite the miles between us.
Rob Blum, CEO, Blumsafe
3. Establish Monthly Virtual Hangouts
When I went to college, maintaining long-distance friendships became a challenge. However, one effective way to keep the bond strong was by setting up a monthly virtual hangout. No matter how busy our schedules got, we’d block out a specific day and time each month to catch up via video call. This consistent commitment ensured we stayed connected and updated about each other’s lives, making the distance feel a bit shorter.
Ben Seelen, Founder, Rugby Brix
4. Plan Activities Based on Shared Interests
Most of my best friends and family live far away from me. I’ve found that the trick to maintaining these relationships lies in being committed (setting and sticking to planned times to meet online or by phone) and tailoring your planned activities to whatever shared interests you have with that person. For example, I might just set up a simple FaceTime call with my mom or dad, but since my best friend and I are both gamers, we set up times to play online. My sister loves to read, so we usually plan to read the same book and then meet up once a month to discuss it. It’s all about finding the right activity and sticking with it!
Roksana Bielecka, Community Manager, ResumeHelp
5. Use Spontaneous Voice Notes
Upon entering the workforce, I realized the power of spontaneous voice notes. Instead of lengthy texts or waiting for a perfect time to call, I’d send my friends quick voice messages, sharing anecdotes from my day, a song I heard, or just a simple hello. These candid, in-the-moment snippets made us feel present in each other’s daily routines, making the geographical distance seem inconsequential.
Gil Clark Jr., CEO, GH Clark
6. Embrace Change and Give Space
As a person who moved abroad at a very young age, I learned that the best way to stay in touch with the people you care about is to embrace the change and give each other space to grow.
This does not equate to giving up on your friends, but understanding that they might be less inclined to maintain the relationship at the same intensity level.
Starting college or a new job is an overwhelming experience where we rediscover ourselves. Only some people deal with the change and separation in the same way; in fact, many are incapable of constant online contact because they are so immersed in the amount of novelty surrounding them.
I was one of these people, and I saw many friends getting offended by my periods of silence, even though I deeply cared about them. But I also needed to process my new, foreign reality.
When, after a few years, the dust had settled, we could rekindle our friendship at the old pace. Mutual understanding gave us a chance to grow together.
Martyna Szcześniak, Community Expert, MyPerfectResume
7. Maintain Weekly Group Calls
I have had a group of four girlfriends since I was a child. When the time came, we had to take different paths. We all studied in different colleges, and I know how lonely it can get. Weekly group calls were our way of staying connected, even though we were miles apart. No matter what happened in our lives, we dedicated one evening that worked for all, and we would spend hours and hours talking and sharing the news, and it felt like we never left each other’s side. Four years later, we are closer than ever, and long distance didn’t affect our friendship, not even a bit.
Kseniia Mykolaienko, CMO, Parentaler
8. Bond Over Shared Hobbies
Shared interests and hobbies can help you stay connected. Participating in activities that you and your loved one enjoy together can help you forget about physical distance. I had a friend who shared my enthusiasm for photography, and we would swap photos, analyze each other’s work, and organize photography trips together whenever we could.
Cindi Keller, Communications Coordinator, The Criminal Defense Firm
9. Schedule Regular Virtual Coffee Dates
Navigating adulthood, I’ve found that long-distance friendships thrive on intentionality. One approach I’ve adopted is scheduling regular virtual coffee dates. Picking a consistent day, like the first Sunday of every month, helps establish a rhythm. We update each other on life events, share highs and lows, and even watch movies online. Additionally, utilizing apps to send surprise notes or gifts keeps the bond fresh. But most crucially, it’s about understanding each other’s evolving lives and giving grace when schedules clash. Remember, it’s the quality of conversations and mutual respect that sustains friendships, not just the frequency.
Matthew Sims, Personal Injury Lawyer, Rapoport Weisberg & Sims, P.C.
10. Organize Festive Season Gatherings
A tradition my friends and I always hold close to is organizing a meet-up or gathering during festive seasons to stay connected and maintain our long-distance friendships. After high school and college, most of us are separated and living in different states and countries, so having a reunion in which we meet in person around celebration periods like Valentine’s Day (for those who are still single), New Year’s Day, Christmas, or national holidays becomes more meaningful and precious.
Plus, it’s also more exciting to meet up during the festive periods—we will buy one another gifts when hanging out and dining together. We will also exchange knowledge and personal experiences over the meal, and our meet-ups can span hours!
Meet-ups aside, we also do virtual gatherings, whereby we will not only chat for fun but also play online games like Skribbl.io—that is guaranteed to keep us all laughing hard and enjoying our time together despite the long distance!
Jonie Toh, Chief Editor, The Gamerian
11. Start a Long-Distance Book Club
As college life took over, I started a book club with my long-distance friends. Every two months, we’d choose a book to read together. Despite being miles apart, discussing our thoughts, interpretations, and feelings about the same book made it feel like we were sharing a piece of our daily lives. It not only kept our bond strong but also enriched our friendship with deeper intellectual conversations.
Gagan Saini, CEO, JIT Home Buyers
12.. Plan Visits to Friends
The strategy that worked for me was planning visits. Plan visits to see your pals or have them visit your new residence as often as possible. During my college years, my friends and I would plan weekend trips, creating unforgettable memories that helped us maintain our friendships. It makes things more exciting and gives us something to look forward to.
Tim Allen, Director, Oberheiden P.C.
13. Set Clear Expectations in Friendships
Long-distance friendships can be painful, but there are ways to reduce the intensity of the pain. Saying goodbye is usually hard, as you might be unable to talk and meet as frequently as you’d like. The ideal way to maintain such friendships is to set clear expectations. Both parties should communicate the status of their day so they can adapt to a new dynamic. When your friend knows when to give you a call or when not to, it can foster a healthy friendship.
Neal Topf, President, Callzilla
Your Digital Hangout:
Crafting a shared digital space, like a private group on a social media platform, can keep the chatter flowing effortlessly. Share memes, updates, or even the mundane details of your day to keep the friendship circle buzzing.
The Unplanned ‘Hello’:
Sometimes, a spontaneous text or a quick call can work wonders. It’s the unexpected ‘hello’ that often brings the most smiles.
Celebrate Milestones, No Matter How Small:
Did your friend ace a test, get a job, or even cook a meal without burning it? Celebrate these moments, big or small, to foster a culture of appreciation and support.
The Snail Mail Surprise:
In a digital world, receiving a handwritten letter or a care package is a cherished anomaly. It’s personal, thoughtful, and has a charm that no email can match.
Virtual Movie Nights:
Platforms like Netflix Party or Discord allow friends to watch movies or binge-watch series together. It’s a fun way to spend a Friday night together, apart.
The Annual Get-Together:
Plan an annual meet-up. It could be during the holidays or a weekend in summer. The anticipation of this get-together can keep the friendship exciting and gives everyone something to look forward to.
Gamify Your Friendship:
Engage in online games or apps that allow you to compete or collaborate. It’s a playful way to stay connected and have fun.
Walk Down Memory Lane:
Reminiscing about old times can be a beautiful way to remember why your friendship is special. Share old photos or revisit shared memories to keep the bond strong.
Navigating Time Zones:
If your friends are spread across different time zones, use scheduling tools or set common convenient times to catch up. It’s all about making that extra effort to stay connected.
Invest In Their Lives:
Show interest in your friend’s new life, be it their college, work or city. It’s about growing together, albeit apart, and embracing the new chapters in each other’s lives.
Incorporating these engaging sections with relatable headings can provide a holistic guide to your readers, making the journey of maintaining long-distance friendships feel less daunting and more of an adventurous endeavor. Your blog post is shaping up to be not only informative but also a comforting companion to those navigating the waters of long-distance friendships.
