Loving from a Far: Keeping up With my Long Distance Friendships

By: Dakota D. Duran

Over the summer, I had the privilege of seeing my best friends every single day for nine hours. Because we worked at a summer camp together, I would spend the whole day with them, usually spending the time after camp together as well. Then, on the weekends, we would usually choose to go out or have a sleepover.

You would think we would have gotten sick of each other, but we never did. With every jaw-dropping event that happened throughout the summer, I needed girl time as much as I could have it.

Even though we are all now spread out throughout the country, ranging from the cities of Amherst, New Haven, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, it doesn’t mean that the love we have for each other or that the dynamic of our friendship has changed. Even with the distance, I still feel as close to them as I did during my time at home. As my friends and I are all busy college students who are always on the go, here is how we maintain our friendship during the school year, never letting the distance come between us:

1. Text Almost Everyday

Of course, we all have busy lives, so this one is somewhat harder to accomplish. But, my friends and I have a group chat that we keep up with almost every day. Whether it be sending a TikTok to each other or a life update, we all always know what is going on in each other’s lives. This group chat holds juicy debrief sessions, our random thoughts throughout the day, and some pictures of what we’re up to. If I don’t have the time to respond immediately, I always make sure to make the time when I go through all of my text messages. Texting them on an almost daily basis always makes me feel connected no matter what.

2. FaceTime as Much as You Can

Texting is great, but it is always fun to sit down and have an actual conversation with your favorite people in your life. We try to squeeze in a call at least twice a month, diving deeper into our lives and going over everything that has happened since we last saw each other. I get a different type of serotonin from these FaceTime calls, and they always leave me feeling closer to them.

3. Always Make Future Plans

Being an optimist, I always love having something to look forward to. I apply this to almost every aspect of my life, especially when it comes to my friendships. Whether it is me traveling to them, them traveling to me, or seeing each other when we come home, plans are always made. I love sending a TikTok to them for an activity we can do when we see each other, and it keeps me excited and allows me to know that there is going to be a time I’m going to see them again, whether that be in two weeks or two months from now.

4. Weekly Photo Dumps

While I love posting a perfectly curated photo dump on my feed, I love seeing other people’s as well, especially if it is from the people I care about the most. This one can require more effort, but if your friend asks you for your opinion on what picture they should post, I consider that a photo dump. I also enjoy even just sending them a random picture of what I’m up to throughout the day, even if it is the most basic activity like cooking or walking to class. I love seeing snippets of my friend’s life, and I love sharing what I’m up to with them.