Long-distance relationships are hard, not even just romantic ones. Going off to college this year and being hours away from some of my closest friends has taken a real toll on my connections with them.

One of my best friends is now over ten hours away from me. If I want to randomly show up at her house and watch a movie with her, if I just want to be in her presence, or simply give her a hug, I can't. Thanks to the internet and smartphones, we're still able to stay connected, but it doesn't feel the same. We snapchat, text, and facetime often which I love more than I can describe in words, but I still miss her tremendously. Now that we're both in college, we have busy lives, and it has gotten continually more difficult to find a mutual time to chat.

Like with her, I am hours away from several of my other friends. The coronavirus pandemic makes it even more difficult since there are now restrictions on visiting other college campuses. I brought my car to college, so I could potentially drive to visit my friends at other schools, but that's a lot of driving to not be able to go into their dorm or go to school facilities that are currently closed because of coronavirus.

I know I will see most of them during Thanksgiving break when we're all back home, but that's not soon enough to ease my worries. I'm just afraid it won't be the same after being away from them for so long.

I'm all for making new friends, but I also think it's incredibly important to put substantial effort into maintaining your preexisting, meaningful relationships. My advice to those who have significant friendships that are waning because of distance or other reasons beyond your control is to be honest with that person about the nature of your relationship and the concerns you're having about it. Chances are they're feeling the same way and will be willing to do whatever it takes to maintain that connection.