Keep in Touch Creatively
Fun Ways to Maintain Long Distance Friendships
Staying in touch seems easier than ever these days with email and social networking sites. However, nothing makes up for quality time with loved ones that are far away like a personal correspondence. Here are some creative ways to keep in touch and have fun "hanging out" with faraway friends.
Pick an Activity to Share With a Long-Distance Friend
The most basic thing that gets lost when friends live far apart is the ability to do things together regularly. It is not easy share a movie, a book club, or a yoga class…or is it? Choose an activity that you both enjoy, or would like to try. It can be as simple as seeing the same movie and then chatting about it later. Try signing up for lessons in dance, pottery or yoga in your respective hometowns. You can be each other’s cheerleaders even if you cannot be in the same class. Do you miss meeting for dinner? Sample the same recipes from a favorite cookbook. You can pick a theme based on each other’s heritage, locations, or a shared favorite place. The activities you could share are endless; the important thing is that it brings your friend into your life.
Track Goals and Objectives
Don’t have a ton of time to devote to a new activity? Keep track of the goals you already have on a website like 43 Things, which allows you to list your life goals and participate in cheering on other people with theirs. You and your friend can share experiences through each other's profiles and even learn things you never knew before. It is fun to see how much you have in common with the rest of the human race and put what you really hope for into words.
“All We Need is Music…”
Music is an instant memory refresher. When a song reminds you of a loved one, it puts a smile on your face and makes you turn up the radio. Make each other mixes of what is on your iPod lately, an old favorite, or what you played at last month’s party they could not attend. Music mixes are a great way for friends to feel like they still get to experience things their friends enjoy. Make it even more fun by sealing the play list and requesting they listen to it ‘blind’, or omitting the list altogether and making them listen for the surprises.
Record the Everyday
Big events often bring people back together, but the everyday activities are sometimes the most fun: baking a batch of cookies, taking a walk through your garden, or working on your car together. Send your friend a video of yourself doing these things so you can share the daily activities you might have enjoyed together. Most digital cameras have a video feature, making it easy to record short films and load them onto your computer for emailing or posting on social networks such as Facebook.
Meet in the Middle Trips
Sometimes there is simply no substitute for spending time together in person. It is always great to see a friend, but if you are not interested in visiting their home base, suggest a vacation where you "meet in the middle."
You might be close enough to drive and visit a destination you both like. For farther journeys, try using a travel site to locate the best deals and keep watch on fares to your desired locations. This is the perfect chance to visit places you both enjoy while renewing your friendship.
Geographic Packages
It is always exciting to receive a postal package. Send your friend small, inexpensive items that exemplify your location. You might send autumn leaves to a friend in the tropics, sand from your local beach, or a business card from a restaurant you both love. What is special and unique about where you are? Do not underestimate your friend’s interest in what you do each day.
365 Projects to Share Experiences
Ever stop in the middle of your day and say, “I wonder what so-and-so is doing right now?” Start a daily, weekly, or monthly project where you and your friend capture what is going on in your lives with photographs. The website 3191 was started by two friends—one in Portland, Oregon, one in Portland, Maine, who live 3,191 miles apart. They each took a picture everyday to post together and compare their experiences.
Keep a Hard Copy
Nothing beats the original, old-fashioned value of the written word from a loved one. Skip the boring letters on loose-leaf and send something quirky and fun instead. Choose a postcard once a month that represents your hometown. Take a funny old photo, write a note on the back, and mail that. Email might be instant, but seeing familiar handwriting is priceless, and the cost of a postcard stamp keeps it affordable and easy.
Keep in Touch with Long Distance Friends
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