It’s reaching that point in the semester where it feels like the universe is not cheering for team you: the time when you really just want to curl up with your best friend and watch cheesy romance movies and eat junk food. But of course they’re at a different college, or back home, too far away. This is especially hard if you’re a freshmen and still haven’t found your college BFFs. But never fear—I have 5 tips to make long distance friendship easier.
Weekly Calls & FaceTime
It’s a depressing reality that you may grow apart from people back home, especially because it seems like you have zero time to do anything: homework, netflix, shopping (#priorities), let alone time to talk on the phone with your BFF. But 10 minutes can make all the difference, even if you just talk about the cute guy in your psych class who was totally checking you out yesterday. You text all the time, but actually hearing your BFFL’s voice can instantly put you in a better mood and close the distance between you both.
A Common Interest
You totally have a plan to binge watch “Narcos” and chow down on barrels of popcorn (PSA: warm popcorn + M&M’s = happiness) together over winter break, but why not start early? There are so many shows and so many ways to stream them without an actual TV that you and your BFF can simultaneously watch a show, plus the matching pj’s and popcorn if you want. Or you can each watch it when you have free time and debrief later over the phone.
Care Packages
Mom status? More like bae status! Care packages aren’t just for grannies and your great aunt Sally. Sending your best friend a package of their favorite candy and K-cups will remind them how much you care. If you’re a broke college kid (and let’s be real, most of us are), sending them a handwritten note or even a funny postcard will work just as well. You could also send each other clothes care packages—who needs a boyfriend’s sweatshirt when you can wear your best friend’s cute clothes?
Thinking of You
Confession: I send my best friend an obscene amount of snapchats about anything cheese-related because #bonding. Whether it’s an inside joke or a memory from way back when, these little gestures will remind each other why you became friends in the first place. No one else may understand your combined humor, but that’s really the best part of what makes your friends!
Plan Ahead
Among the countdowns for Thanksgiving, birthdays, Christmas, and spring break, we also have a countdown to when we get to see our BFF. When you finally get to see them again you fall right back into the same routine, as if you never left each other. Planning a special event for when you finally see each other will make the anticipation and excitement even better. Even if the plan is just to go to your favorite coffee shop or visit your old high school stomping grounds, it will be the best day ever because you are with your person.
by Allie Lewandowski