The excitement of packing up a part of my life and starting anew, started to fade when I sat alone in my room for the first time. The realization that I was going to be on my ownâfor lack of better termsâhit me like a truck.
Although having grown up in San Jose, only an hour away from San Francisco, the feeling of being left out and forgotten continued to linger in the back of my mind. Most of my friends are going to the college in our hometown, which means fitting each other into their schedules wasn’t hard to do. Text messages in the group chat about grabbing coffee before class or running errands together made me regret the decision to leave home. I couldnât decide to drive home on a random weekday nor did I have the time to.
It sounds silly, but the feeling of loneliness always crept up on me and became increasingly hard to shake off. I was afraid that the distance would make us lose our connection and become strangers. Now, I would be lying if I said I never thought about transferring to the college in my hometown. However, as the months went on, I began to realize that distance should never come in between your relationships. Rather than letting the loneliness consume me, I was able to find ways to stay connected.
Consistent Communication
If you find yourself in the same boat, itâs just a reminder that youâre not alone. The first step to combatting the harsh reality of long distance friendships in collegeâis to talk to someone. Itâs a disservice to yourself to keep these thoughts and feelings bottled up. With the wide variety of social media platforms, itâs easy to stay connected. There are apps that remind you to capture authentic moments of your everyday life. You can see what your close friends and family are up to in real time, which makes it feel as though they are part of your daily routine. Sending each other funny videos or pictures is another way for you to let them know that youâre thinking about them. I tend to blow up the group chat with non-important texts like; âThis person in front of me is wearing bright pink knee-high Converses,â or âGuys, my coffee tastes like dirt today,â. It includes them in my day without them physically being there.
Movie Night
Besides texting and updating one another about the trivial moments in life, I found virtual hangouts to be the most fun. Streaming platforms is the perfect way to partake in such hangouts. The best thing about it, is that you can plan a movie night anywhere at any time. Platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, or Hulu support âSharePlayâ; a feature that allows you, friends, or family to simultaneously watch a movie from the comfort of oneâs home. If there’s a particular movie that I am excited about, I send a quick text to my friends and weâre able to set aside a night to watch it.
Shared Activities
Having an activity that you can partake in with others can lessen the feeling of loneliness and you donât have to meet in person to do it. Activities like crocheting, studying, or playing video games together can make you stay connected and have fun. Personally, playing video games with my friends is one way I can decompress from a long day and catch up with my friends.
Looking back, my worries seem insignificant. Being away from my friends and family made me think of new ways to stay connected. Nowadays, I feel even closer to them than I have ever been before. From texting one another about daily life to planning movie nights and video chatting while sharing hobbies, such efforts keep our connection thriving. Distance can make things difficult, but it has been comforting to know that it hasnât put a strain on our relationships.