How to Maintain a Long Distance Friendship

You have a best friend and she lives on one side of the country while you live on the other. How can you maintain this solid, life-long friendship while you two are so far apart? Just like with anything you grow in the garden, you have to tend to your friendship to make sure it continues to bloom. Once you establish even a yearly plan to see each other, you can surprise each other in other ways during those long months in between. Here are some ideas to help the time fly by.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. When you're thinking of her, call her. With free minutes on cell phones these days, it's easy to keep in touch with a call. It'll keep you up to date on the happenings in your friend's life.

2. Remember all the holidays. Try to send a card or a little present that's funny only to the two of you. Just cause you're far apart doesn't mean you can't laugh together.

3. Plan a yearly visit that gives you a few days or weeks with your friend. Maybe one year it's in her town, one year in your town, or maybe you meet somewhere in between! Make it very relaxed. When you're together, it won't be the things you do together so much as just having the time to sit and talk, and bask in the glow of your favorite person.

4. Email often. Sometimes only your best friend can understand what you're going through, and the quickest way to get a booster of love from them is by email contact.

5. A few times a year, surprise your friend with a card telling her how much you appreciate her. Inside you can list all the things you like about her. Send some photos. Send some chocolates, some socks or a refrigerator magnet. Share an old memory. Keep each other fresh in your daily thoughts and activities.