The summer before university feels like a summer of many lasts, but it doesn’t have to be. Keeping up with your high school ‘squad ‘can be difficult due to different time zones, schedules, and just generally being occupied with everyday mundane things, keeping us from the things that really matter.
If you have been as lucky as I have, to have had strong friendships in high school, I think it’s worth putting in effort to maintain them. However, it should be a two way street, as relationships require effort from both sides, not just one. It’s tough when you’re used to seeing your friends every day, and you’re suddenly only able to see them every few months. High school friendships are special and unique in their own way because of the comfort level, and the way you can just be yourself. These people have seen you through everything and decided to stick by you, which is why leaving them behind is something you will never get used to. Since it is something that we all have to do, here are 6 certain stages that every long distance friendship goes through:
1) Skype is your best friend
Skype is the magical portal that makes the world a whole lot smaller. It allows you to practically be in the same room, and do things together like watch movies and play games (a personal favorite of mine is to play the online version of Cards Against Humanity with my friends on Skype). Even though Skype can’t replace seeing them in real life, it comes pretty close, I mean, beggars can’t be choosers. If Skype lets me see my friends, and fills the void, I will take what I can get. Social media in general becomes a huge part of your friendship as Snapchat, WhatsApp and Instagram help you remain in constant contact.
2) Making plans to visit each other
Having friends go to different universities across the world just gives you an excuse to make spontaneous travel plans (sometimes those plans remain plans, but a girl can dream) to visit your friends and allows you to feel as though you are being given insight into their new life.
3) Hour Long Conversations
The conversations always revolve around a breakdown of their day, which is great as it gives you a glimpse of their life, even though you are miles apart. Being given a play-by-play of their entire day definitely makes you feel better because they still want you to know every single detail of their new life. Keeping each other in the loop becomes natural and if that’s not there it just feels weird. They know about all your university stories and friends and vice versa.
4) Insecurity
Once all of you go off on your separate paths, it’s inevitable that new friendships will cause you to be jealous or be a source of banter for your high school friends. They always have first dibs on you and your time. It’s only natural to feel as though you are slowly losing them to friends that they are able to see daily, however you just have to ensure each other that nothing will change, despite the oceans or roads separating you.
5) Calendar Catastrophes
The worst aspect of friendships that span continents is that your breaks rarely line up. If you guys are lucky and all go to schools in the US for example, you may have overlapping winter or summer breaks, but as you grow older these breaks become a time for internships and to get work experience, instead of coming home and soon you see each other even less than before.
6) Reunited and it feels so good
Lastly, the best thing about high school friendships is that once you all are back home it’s like nothing ever changed. You will still have the same jokes, same stories, and the same places to have fun, it will just be a different times in our lives. It’s just a bonus that no matter where we are or who we meet, no one and nothing will change your relationship, as some things are worth staying the same forever.
GIFs obatined from:
http://whoamiorphanblack.tumblr.com/post/110707673469/9-reasons-why-ob-k…
http://www.buzzfeed.com/kirreeves/going-to-the-bars-as-told-by-lizzie-mc…
http://myfriendsaremarried.tumblr.com/post/69880366824/when-my-single-fr…
http://storyglitz.com/10-reasons-why-school-friends-are-the-besties/