Maintaining friendships across distances can be challenging yet deeply rewarding. There’s something special about conversations and visits with friends who have known you for a long time. They know you for you, not what you do for them. When you’re with people who have loved you through highs and lows, conversations and visits feel like balm. Don’t let that go.

Sure, there’s people you may not want to stay in contact with, but moving on from everyone doesn’t always mean moving forward. We don’t physically have time to stay in close contact with everyone we’ve ever had a meaningful moment with, but we can make an effort to stay in contact with some. 

Looking for some ways to stay in contact with long-distance friends? Start with the four tips below. You might have heard these tips before, but I’ve also provided some methods to make them easier on you. 

Unite through a common interest.

Think about what brought you and your current long-distance friends together to begin with. Then, be creative about how you can tap into that common interest in a long-distance format. A few of my long-distance friends became close through involvement in a student newspaper. We love books, words, and creativity and started a monthly virtual book club to unite over that common interest.

Whether it’s books, board games, comedy, or programming, there’s a creative way for you to make new memories together virtually as you unite over a common interest.

Share weekly photo updates. 

Okay, this is my new favorite way to stay in contact with long-distance friends. Once a week share the photos you took throughout the week, no matter how mundane. Some of my friends add a “my week in photos” message to our text threads on Sunday evenings. We don’t share everything on social media. This “my week in photos” message keeps long-distance friends in the inner circle of life happenings even if they don’t live in the same zip code. 

Send cards to celebrate important dates and events. 

This isn’t a novel suggestion. We all know how to send cards but truthfully tend to forget. Something gets lost between the thought of sending a card and the mailbox. Do yourself a favor and buy stamps cards in batches. Keep the stamps and cards on hand. When you think of someone or a key event that takes place, write and mail the card using the items you have in your house without making an extra trip to the store. 

Want to get started? Use this greeting card variety pack and organizer to have a card easily accessible for almost any occasion.

Like goals? One of my friends has a goal every year to send cards regularly to friends and family. She writes down a list of important people in her life and breaks down the list every month with a goal to send a certain number of handwritten cards each month. 

Plan annual trips.

Don’t just reminisce over past memories. Create new memories. To make annual trips together easier, here are a couple of approaches I’ve observed work well: 

1. Hold the same weekend on the calendar every year. Mark it as the friend trip getaway with the same group of people. This plan works well if you have a group of friends who all know each other. If everyone is comfortable, you can even share a large house, make meals together, and enjoy as much time together as possible. 

2. Plan a trip to a location you want to go to and invite friends who may or may not know each other. You as the organizer get a say on location and timeframe, send out an email with the logistics and ask people to commit by a certain date. This plan works well if you want an opportunity to see several friends who may not know each other. Try to pick trips where people can have their own rooms and come and go to activities as they please.

Moving away doesn’t have to mean moving on. While long-distance friendships take effort to maintain, they can continue to grow. It’s not possible to stay in touch with every person you meet. Be realistic. Yet, with the friendships you do feel a mutual, consistent desire to grow, know that it is possible to stay connected despite distance. Use these tips and add to the conversation by dropping your ideas in the comments on Pinterest. 

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