1. Write Letters
A text or a Snapchat is fun. It’s casual. You can have good conversations, but it will never be as meaningful as receiving a personalized letter in the mail. The feeling that comes with opening up an envelope that was handwritten especially for you is exhilarating. The best part… it is soooooo easy. I highly recommend getting your friends’ addresses and sending letters to each other because it is much more sentimental.
2. Zoom Dinner Date
Set up a time where you and your friends all get dinner (following COVID rules of course). Whether it’s takeout or DoorDash, make sure you all have some sort of yummy meal to eat. Then, set up a Zoom call and eat together. Though clearly very different from the typical night out in college, it’s still just as fun and delicious.
Pick a movie that you all want to watch (I highly recommend some cheesy rom-com) and use Netflix Party so that you are watching it at the same time. You can react and chat and laugh about the scenes together. You could even combine this with dinner and make it a whole event. You may not get to all cozy up on the couch next to each other, but it’s still such a fun time with your friends.
4. Make Playlists
I don’t know about you, but I love music. And one thing I love even more than listening to music is when my friends give me song recommendations that they think I will like. I’m always looking for good music, so when someone who knows me well sends me a song, I get excited. That’s why making a whole playlist for your friends can be so fun. The best part is you can’t go wrong. Even if they don’t love all the songs, just knowing that you put the time into something like that is enough to make them smile.
5. Happy Hour
One of the saddest parts about going home is missing nights out with the girls. And while there is really nothing you can do about that (especially during COVID), it’s still fun to set up a time to pour up a drink (whether it’s water or wine) and sip with the girls. You can listen to music together and have fun conversations even when you can’t physically be out together.
You don’t have to celebrate Christmas to make this happen. You and your friends can use the website DrawNames to make sure that everyone gets a present. Then, go on Amazon and order a package to be delivered to their address. This way you can add a special note but still make it anonymous. Then, you can all facetime and open the gifts together.
7. Phone Apps
Apps like Psych! and Among Us allow you to play games with your friends even when you’re not close by. You can hop on a Zoom call and all be logged into the same game together. There are so many apps and websites out there that allow you to stay connected and have fun, even when you may be across the country from each other.
8. Make a Bucket List
Write down a list of things you all want to do when you can be back together again. It can be crazy wild vacations or a restaurant that you all want to visit. This gives you something to look forward to or even plan (though trips obviously may not be the best idea right now). By having a long list of things you want to do, it becomes even easier to decide what to do in the future when you are all together and bored again.
9. Clothing Haul
If you’re like my friends and I, you may have developed a slight online shopping addiction during quarantine. I swear the boxes don’t ever stop coming and, in my opinion, the best part is trying on all the new finds. Just throw on those outfits and show them off so that your friends can hype them up just as they would if you were all together.
10. Book Club
I am writing this mostly because I want to take my own advice here. I used to read so much as a kid, but have definitely slacked off in recent years. Now is the perfect time to pick up a good book again. Choose a book that is interesting to everyone and set days to get through certain page numbers. Then… Zoom and chat about it. This is a good way to stay connected, as well as waste some of that free time. There’s no better feeling than being lost in a book.
