Unique Ways to Keep in Touch with Friends
So many times, we send a text to a long-distance friend to say hello. It’s a nice gesture, but what does a text conversation really do to help deepen a friendship? Let’s be honest here, it doesn’t do very much. There are way more interactive ways to keep in touch with your friends. Take a look at these thoughtful and fun ideas to help build upon your friendships, no matter how far you live from each other!
Keep in Touch with Friends:
Get Crafty over Facetime
You don’t have to be in person to share a crafting experience together. Craft stores (such as Michael’s courses here) have free online classes where you buy the supplies and follow along. Set up the course video on your computer and then facetime with your friend to share this crafting time together.
If that sounds like too much going on at once, choose a DIY project or something simple that you can each do with little direction. Then chat along the way, sharing your craft progress as you go.
Share Memories Through Photos
This should be a collection of both old and new memories. Send photos you have with each other to relive fond moments together, and share new pictures of fun things that have recently happened in your life.
You may be thinking “oh, well, they can see all of that on my Instagram posts”. But trust me, that’s not the same! On social media you are sharing with anyone and everyone. But if you send each other pictures directly, or create a shared album with them (or a very small group of friends), this shows that you were thinking of them when you sent it. It is also a great way to encourage further conversation and catching up in each other’s lives!
Keep in Touch with Friends:
Send a Random Card
Everyone appreciates a card for a special occasion. It means a lot when someone remembers your birthday or sends you a Christmas card. But have you ever send a random card, just to say “hello” or “I miss you”? What about sending a card on a random holiday?
A few years back sent a few of my closest friends Halloween cards, and they were all so excited! They had never gotten Halloween cards before and they absolutely loved it. Small gestures like this are the things that people remember.
Accomplish Goals Together
Are you and your friend both looking to eat healthier? Start a workout routine? Become better cooks? Master a new skill? No matter what the goal is, it’s easier to achieve something when you have a buddy. Think of what you are both looking to improve upon in your lives and set a goal, together.
Now use this common goal as a way to motivate each other! Send encouraging messages, share tips, or send photos of your progress. Call each other to talk about what’s working for you or anything you are struggling with. Creating a new routine together will not only help each of you to build better habits, it will also help to deepen your friendship by working towards a common goal. Plus, it’s so much more fun when you are accomplishing something together!
Keep in Touch with Friends:
Exchange Recipes
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t struggle with meal planning and putting together that dreaded grocery list. So why not make the meal prep process more fun? A good way to do this is by sharing recipes with a long-distance friend. Send them your favorites and any new finds you discover along the way. Make it a challenge for each of you to share at least one new recipe a month!
Share a Playlist
If you and your friend have similar musical taste, consider sharing a playlist that you can both build off of. Daniel and I do this with most of our Spotify playlists and it’s such a fun way to share music with each other. This is a great idea for friends too. Pick a genre and see how it all comes together. Or make a playlist of random songs… there’s no rules here!
Send a Gift
Do you remember how getting mail as a kid use to be fun? Well, now that we are adults all we really have to look forward are bills and junk flyers. The most exciting things we receive are Amazon gifts… that we sent to ourselves. So we all know how nice it is to get something good in the mail! Send your friend a small package and see just how excited they are to receive an unexpected gift. If you are looking for some fun and unique gift ideas, check out this post here.
Keep in Touch with Friends:
Read the Same Books
Like a long-distance book club, this allows you to read a book together and share your thoughts along the way. Take turns picking the book, or brainstorm a list of titles you are both interested in. Then set a number of chapters to read and how often you call each other to discuss it. It’s a good way to ensure you talk to each other to catch up, even if you barely talk about the book.
If you have way different tastes in books, consider reading something that you can learn from or that teaches you a skill. Examples of this include motivational books, self-help books, or how to guides. If you are thinking “wow, this could get expensive” remember that there’s no need to buy a new book each time! Check your local library or a used book store to save money.
Build Upon Your Knowledge
Make a deal with each other that when you learn something new or interesting, that you’ll share it. Whether it’s the best way to clean something, a great workout, a dog training trick, or a fun fact, what it is specifically doesn’t really matter. Send a link to a new podcast that you found interesting, or a cute blog you’ve recently discovered.
Consider setting up a shared Pinterest board where you post things like DIY projects, beauty tips, travel destinations, whatever your shared interests are. Or if you just both really love cats, then share cat pictures and memes. It might not be educational, per say, but who doesn’t love cats? The point here is to start a sharing and learning relationship with your friend. This will help grow your knowledge as well as your friendship.
Plan a Trip Together
Whether you are visiting each other or meeting up at a destination, taking a vacation and seeing a close friend at the same time is a double win! This also means you’ll be doing some fun planning and brainstorming together beforehand. Check out these 7 Travel Planning Tips to get your started on booking your next journey together.
I would like to note here to just be aware of each other’s budget and comfort levels for spending money. Know that your budget might not match theirs. Especially if you are traveling to a destination, know what each of you is looking to spend on lodging, food, and activities, and stick to the amount you set together.
Keep in Touch with Friends:
Remember Their Birthday
This seems simple but it goes a long way when someone remembers it. You don’t have to send a gift, even a card or simple phone call the day of lets them know that you didn’t forget about their special day.
Call them on the Phone
While this is not a “unique” method of keeping in touch, I felt it needed mentioning. Texting by itself is not a good way to keep a friendship strong. You should be having real conversations, and when you cannot do it in person, you should be talking over the phone (or video chat). This allows you to have a real stream of conversation, to hear each other’s voice, and share some laughter. These things will help to keep a real connection.
Share the Small Stuff
So many things in life are worth sharing. Keeping in touch is all about thinking of the people in our lives on a regular basis. Nothing is too small to share, so don’t forget about those funny stories and little moments that are worth telling others about! And if you don’t know what to share, well then this is what this list is for. To help you to keep and continue to build your friendships, even when you are miles apart.
On the subject of friendships, if you are struggling to find friends where you live now, read this post about Making Friends as a Adult. If you are needing some ways to boost your happiness and escape the mundane day-to-day routine, check out this post here.
