long-distance strategizing
yesterday, i got off a long distance phone call to germany. i hate hanging up with germany. hanging up with germany means hanging up with one of the souls dearest to my own. someone whose calming voice i don't hear nearly enough. when the call ended i decided (for the 100th time) that i am going to reestablish my game plan for maintaining a meaningful and fruitful relationship with my sweet friend living across the atlantic from me. and she isn't the only one. most of my very closest friends live far away from me. from seattle to california to virginia and places in between. i spent some time brainstorming and poking around to come up with some strategies.
here are some ideas i gathered:
-what about a traveling journal?
-one of my favorite bloggers posted about 5-minute phone calls. loving this strategy.
-and then there is good old hand written letters. how pretty are these note cards? i could think of a friend, or sixteen, to send these to.
-this blog had two great ideas: photo texting when shopping (or making new fun meals!) and sending mixes to each other of what you've been listening to/loving lately.
-send small, unexpected gifts. even something silly.
-have some kind of schedule. for example, maybe commit to skyping once a month, and using a rule like the 5-minute rule to communicate more regularly throughout the month. this way, there is always something to look forward to.
-don't rely solely on social media/blogs. i mean, how many "friends" do you have in the social media world? do you really want to settle for what you have with them, with your bffs? my best friend confessed to me yesterday that sometimes when she reads my blog regularly she is less inclined to reach out to me in other ways, because she feels all caught up. and, she admitted that it makes her miss me more...
like the other day when i was looking at her facebook photos and i actually started tearing up. and i had to stop. i know, ridiculous. i miss that girl.
-this blog had two great ideas: photo texting when shopping (or making new fun meals!) and sending mixes to each other of what you've been listening to/loving lately.
-send small, unexpected gifts. even something silly.
-have some kind of schedule. for example, maybe commit to skyping once a month, and using a rule like the 5-minute rule to communicate more regularly throughout the month. this way, there is always something to look forward to.
-don't rely solely on social media/blogs. i mean, how many "friends" do you have in the social media world? do you really want to settle for what you have with them, with your bffs? my best friend confessed to me yesterday that sometimes when she reads my blog regularly she is less inclined to reach out to me in other ways, because she feels all caught up. and, she admitted that it makes her miss me more...
like the other day when i was looking at her facebook photos and i actually started tearing up. and i had to stop. i know, ridiculous. i miss that girl.
-then there is always this strategy. which i'm currently feeling a renewed energy toward.
how do you keep in touch with your dearest friends, whether they are close or far? what are some creative ways to keep it fun and meaningful and somewhat regular? besides, of course, buying a ticket to germany for a few weeks...which might also cure my current state of friend-missing.
