Video Chatting
For those friends who are far away, or haven’t seen you in a while, video chatting is great because it’s the closest to face-to-face communication! Plus, you can easily show off your new super cute clothes and dorm room! Start by choosing a specific time of the week that works for you and your friends. Most importantly, try not to bail! Nobody likes being stood up—even if it’s on webcam!
Social Media
Ah, social media, the number one tool for keeping up to date—or should I say for stalking your ex. Take a break from the creeping and put social media to better use. It’s a great way to communicate with high school/college friends! The fab thing about sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is that you can group chat. Tag your friends in funny videos or memes you come across to start a conversation.
Plan Hangouts and Visits
Yes, video chatting and texting is amazing, but it’s important that you actually plan to meet up with your friends as well. For those friends that live far away, planning visits is very important. Visits are the perfect time for you and your friends to do something spontaneous. At the same time, you’re creating new memories to cherish forever!
Good Ol’ Fashion Letters!
Call me a grandma but I love letters. If my best friend ever forgot to send me one on my birthday, or other special occasions, I would totally take away his best friend title! I know we’re in a technology-driven world where texting and emailing makes life that much easier, but letters give me something to look forward to. Make the effort to send your friends a letter once in a while, even if it’s just to let them know how wonderful they are. I guarantee it will put a gigantic smile on their face!
Don’t Get Jealous of Their New Friends!
Whether it’s a relationship or friendship, jealousy is never a good thing. It can be sad seeing your best friends enjoying life with other people however, to maintain a strong friendship after graduating, you need to understand that the friendship may not be like it once was. There’s nothing wrong with developing new bonds! Instead of getting jealous of the new friends, invite them to tag along when you and your best friend meet up.
I got married young, Melody. I was nteeinen and he was twenty-two. Despite what the world says, getting married young helps solidify your relationship because you finish growing up together. (Which, technically, we are all growing up until we die. Marry young and you get a head start.) The older we get, the more set in our ways we get. I know for certain that change is more difficult when we are more set in our ways. Our routines run deeper and our way of thinking seems more absolute. We become more prideful and certain that we are right. From my experience, marrying young helped us to become solidified in our routines together. We have already made many of the changes we needed to make so that we could better accommodate and support each other. We’ve gained trust and perspective that we would not have gained had we waited to marry until we were older. We did have children right away, and now it is very likely that I will be a grandma while I am still in my forties. Personally, I think that rocks! If the two of you are determined to make it work and if you include God in your relationship you will make it work. Best wishes for tomorrow!