By Scroll through Instagram or Facebook and you’ll see a thousand posts and quotes about long-distance relationships and its struggles. But what about long-distance friendships? If you ask us, friendships take precedent over relationships! Friends are for life and being away from someone you once spent all your time with is not easy. But sadly, sometimes there’s just nothing you can do but look forward to those brief moments where you’ll be reunited. Whether your bestie left for college or moved to a new country forever, you’ll find these 7 struggles totally relatable.
1. The Time Zone Dilemma
As if the pain of living far away from your BFF isn’t enough, what makes it even worse is the huge time difference. Consider yourself lucky if your friend lives in a city or country with the same time zone as yours, because there’s nothing more frustrating than missing each other’s messages by a few hours. Getting on a call now require month’s of planning and if you have more than one BFF abroad? That requires some serious calendar syncing!
Solution: Making time for each other can be done, albeit with a little effort. Make sure you and your bestie set a time – that fits both your schedules – for a weekly check-in! After all, catching up on the latest gossip deserves some extra time.
2. The Constant Fear Of Losing Them
No matter how close you both are, not seeing your best friend in a long time can inevitably cause some insecurities. “Am I still her best friend? Does she love her new friends more than me? Will we stay friends forever?” These are some of the many thoughts that cross your mind every day, especially when you keep seeing IG stories of your bestie with her new friends.
Solution: Here’s where you need to be a little understanding and put yourself in her shoes. It’s natural for her to make more friends in a new place. Instead of letting the green monster get the best of you, be open to meeting her new friends. You never know, they might end up becoming your friends too!
3. Slow Internet — The Real Enemy
Only those who have long distance BFFs know what a blessing Skype, FaceTime and WhatsApp video calls are. It’s the bad Internet connection that’s a bane in our existence. Imagine having an exciting conversation with your bestie about bumping into your celeb crush and the Wi-Fi signals decide to disappear! Ugh, the frustration!
Solution: Time to go old school! If your Wi-Fi problem isn’t getting solved, it’s time to put pen to paper! As archaic as it may sound, getting something in the mail has its own thrill. You guys can send each other cute letters and it’ll make for a cute tradition! No harm in trying it out.
4. The FOMO Gets Real
Seeing your friend hanging out or celebrating her birthday party while you’re bored to the core is when the FOMO hits you. You miss the days when you used to be the chief organiser of her birthday party and you’d never attend a single event without each other.
Solution: When your bestie’s birthday rolls around, get in touch with some of her friends to have you on a video call for the party. It’ll be a great surprise for her and make you feel like you’re part of the festivities too! If possible, you can even ship a bouquet of flowers or a small gift to her – the advantage of living in the age of online shopping!
5. The Pain Of Seeing Other BFFs Having Fun
Whether it’s chatting over lunch or shopping to their heart’s content, every time you see a pair of best friends together, you can’t help but miss yours! Even small reminders of things you used to do together, a song or movie can make you reminisce.
Solution: When you do start missing your bestie more than normal, let her know! Sending a quick message letting them know you’re thinking of them or saw something that reminded you of them will make you and her feel lighter. It’s almost always better to express how you’re feeling!
6. Saving Enough To Visit Them
Saving is never an easy task, but it gets even tougher when your aim to save enough to travel to a different part of the world. Restraining yourself when your favourite brand’s newest collection drops or staying home to keep yourself from spending is no easy task!
Solution: But it’s all worth it in the end! Instead of spending a huge chunk to go see her, save a decent amount for a fun vacation together that’s affordable for both of you. You’ll get to see her and make a whole new set of memories as well!
7. When You Need A Shoulder To Cry On
Nothing makes you miss your best friend more than when you need a shoulder to cry on. When things start going wrong, they’re the ones who can make things right. And long-distance friendships seem the worst when you’re feeling this way.
Solution: Nothing can replace your bestie giving you a tight hug but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t reach out to them. Give them a call or video message and tell them what happened. Just being able to talk to them will make you feel better!
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