Staying Connected
One of the (amazing) parts of traveling is having friends in many different locations. Who doesn't want to hear a firsthand account of what it's like to live in Bangkok firsthand, or what it's like to spend the weekends camping on abandoned islands off Okinawa in real time? Having friends all over the globe allows us to travel without traveling, to step outside our own situations without leaving home (though we absolutely should, when we are able!). Friends in other locations can help us expand our horizons in a myriad of ways, and learning to share and maintain those relationships is incredibly important, for when you find them. Below are some tips for staying connected with friends that may be a state - or an ocean - away. Below are a couple ways to stay connected with new and old friends on a regular basis from anywhere:
Throw a Watching Party
If you have Netflix and have friends with similar tastes in movies or TV series, I highly recommend checking out the Showgoers for Netflix plugin on Chrome. If all parties have a Netflix subscription, this will put you in a virtual 'room' together where you can live chat and stream anything on Netflix at the same time, so everyone sees the same thing. This way, if you wanted to watch a series with a friend (or many friends) who doesn't live close to you, you can still 'talk' during the movie, see it together real time, and catch up on your lives before and after the show. Whether you get together on a weekly or monthly basis to watch something, it's a great way to connect with friends without leaving home.
Write Letters
It's old school, but there are few things that compare to real, tangible snail mail - and who doesn't love receiving a letter from a friend? Block out some time and put pen to paper! Let your friends know that you're thinking of them, tell a funny story, let them know you're thinking of them. If you're on a trip, dash off a postcard or two while you're on the beach or killing time at the airport. Bonus points for keeping writing materials easily accessible in your car, backpack, or whatever you keep close so you can write while standing in line, on hold or any other 'dead' time where you'd be looking at Facebook to fill the time!
Let Facebook Help
We all have those friends... friends on Facebook that we don't talk to on a regular basis, but we still know when they got married, where they're going on vacation and what they ate for dinner last night because of their newsfeeds. A great way to maintain contact with what can seem like an overwhelming number of people is to pay attention to their special days. Facebook is great at highlighting not just general holidays, but birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates. A thoughtful private message on a birthday or holiday, aside from the generic "happy birthday!!" can do wonders for relationships and communications, even if they are few and far between. Healthy friendships are more about the quality and depth of contact, even if it can't always be frequent, so using Facebook's tech to help you remember important dates can help maintain your friendship ties.
Be Spontaneous
Listen to the universe - if you encounter something in your daily life that reminds you of a person you don't normally talk to, tell them! Sitting at my corner bar the other night, I noticed a funny coaster I hadn't seen before, immediately thinking of a beer-aficionado friend who collected coasters. Even though we don't talk on a regular basis, I snapped a photo and sent him a quick note along the lines of 'this made me think of you and smile'. There was no long conversation, but the important thing was that we reinforced our connection and thoughts of each other. And it could be anything - street graffiti, a reminder of an inside joke, the smell of a certain type of tea - but letting friends know they're in your thoughts can go a long way.
There are so many tools today to help us connect with each other, even across oceans and continents - so get creative! How do you stay in touch with friends and family who are far away?
