They’re the ones you call crying after a breakup, and the ones you text fifty times a day. They’re your right-hand women, your #1 fans and your lifesavers. Your life wouldn’t be the same without them, because they’re your BFFs. But although you’re joined at the hip when you’re together, college can often leave you hundreds of miles, states and even sometimes oceans away from your best friends. So what’s a girl to do when her best friendships suddenly become long distance relationships? Read on for some creative ways to stay in touch with your BFFs when Skype, texting and phone calls just aren’t cutting it anymore.
The Traveling Journal
Alison Storm has known her four best friends since high school (Melissa, Dawn, Tonya, Morgenne), and some of them have even been in her life since elementary school. After high school, all five women attended college in Iowa but found themselves dispersed between Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. After college, they ended up living in five states, four time zones and on both coasts of the United States.
Alison remembers coming up with the idea of The Traveling Journal because she was lonely. “It was 2001, I was missing my friends and I had a blank journal. I decided to write in it, paste in some photos and send it on its way. I really didn’t know if I would ever see it again, but the idea was to circulate the journal as a way to share our lives together even though we lived so far away from one another.”
And so the idea of the traveling journal was born. Akin to a real-life version of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, the journal has been circulating between the five friends since 2001, and they still continue the tradition today. “We’ve written about births, deaths, weddings, boyfriends (lots of boyfriends!), jobs, homes, all the stuff that happens in life,” says Alison. “And we can all say that it’s hard to send it on because we feel closer to each other when we have it in our possession.”
Alison and her friends have now started their own company and sell traveling journals to keep women across the country connected (check it out here). They believe strongly in the power of snail mail to keep people together.
So why should you invest in a traveling journal? We all know that sometimes talking on the phone or even chatting on Skype just doesn’t cut it. There’s something wonderful about sharing a tangible piece of writing with your BFFs, plus getting mail from your friends can absolutely make your day!
“It is absolutely priceless now to be able to go back and revisit my friend’s and my thoughts and dreams from that point in our lives (post-college),” says Alison. “Facebook, emails, and text messages really can’t compete with sharing a journal. Facebook can be so public, emails can get buried, text messages are deleted, but a shared journal is something you can always hold and treasure—as long as it doesn’t get lost in the mail!”
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Staying Creative
Skyping, texting, impromptu visits and even long phone calls are essential to keeping in touch with your BFFs, but sometimes mixing up the way you interact can make all the difference in the world. Try these things:
Photos
One of the most difficult parts of living far away from your BFFs is the fact that they have often have no idea what your campus looks like. While walking to class, or to your favorite café, take pictures of what you see. Then send them to your friends so they can imagine what you see each day and so that they can picture exactly where you live!
Disposable Cameras
Instead of sending a journal, try mailing around a disposable camera instead. Each person is allowed to take two or three pictures of themselves doing funny, crazy or interesting thingsbefore sending it onto the next friend. Then, once you’ve reunited for the holidays, get the camera developed and talk about the funny stories behind each picture! Some of the things that keep you close to your BFFs are those funny, weird moments that you experience together – and now you won’t have to miss out on them!
Greeting Cards
Receiving real mail or even e-cards is one of the small joys in life. Take time to find silly cards(either at the store or online) and send them to your favorite women. Letting them know that you’re thinking about them in a creative way will make their day!
Facebook Groups
Create a private group with a few of your BFFs and post funny photos, comments and moments on the wall. Because we all use Facebook so frequently, creating a group on Facebook is both convenient and something you will check out all the time. Make it private so that you can tell each other anything and everything!
Share Moments
You may be miles away from one another, but set aside time to spend togethereven if it’s over the phone. Brew some coffee and sit down on the couch in your sweatpants – it’s almost as good as having coffee with your BFF, and you’ll be glad you took the time to catch up with one another.
Share Clothes
You know that black skirt that’s just a little too short for you, but that might fit your size-two BFF? Send it to her! Plan on having a clothes trade every once in a while, because let’s be honest – sharing clothes and jewelry and shoes is one of the best parts of being best friends.
Alison knows that staying in touch while living across the country from one another (or even a few hours away) can be difficult, but she maintains that staying creative can make all the difference in the world. “My advice for college women who live far away from their friends is to stick with it,” she says. “It can be incredibly difficult to keep those connections alive, but ten years from now you will be so thankful you did.”
Sources:
Alison Storm – one of the founders of The Traveling Journal
www.thetravelingjournal.com
http://thecollegejuice.com/tag/creative-ways-to-keep-in-touch/
http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/family/staying-in-touch-with-family-…
College women from across the country