Long distance friendship is something that everyone goes through at least one time in their life. In my case, it happened after my high school graduation. I had a small, close group of friends that were either moving or attending school in another state, so that left me. Of course, I was upset at first, not being able to see the friends I've seen every day for the past four years, but who wouldn't be?

5 Shortcuts to a Long Distance Friendship:

1. Call, text, and face-time as much as possible, especially if you are in a different time zone

2. Send a letter in the mail--it's a nice surprise to receive

3. Send a funny photo or video without a message to start a conversation

4. Remind your friend how much they mean to you every once in a while

5. Remember to ask about the little things

We all made the same promises that you see in the movies; we promised to call each other every day, text whenever we could, face-time each other on the weekends, try to send letters, and hopefully see each other in person every chance we got. Now, for many, this is pretty unrealistic, and after a few calls and texts, the effort seems to fade and the relationship is doomed. What most people don't realize is, the true way to make a long distance friendship work is effort. This seems so simple, but it is honestly easier said than done. As young adults in college or working full-time, we are constantly surrounded by work and stress, leaving only so many hours left in a day. This results in missing a call or text sometimes.

I will admit that I have missed a text, call, or face-time because I ran out of time, and that truly is a horrible feeling. What I have learned from long distance friendship is, the relationship you hold with that friend depends on how much time, effort, and care you possess for that person. I have taken into consideration the times in which I know my friends are free to talk or when it would be a good time for them; but it isn't all about just talking, it's about what you talk about.

I've learned that the key to maintaining the close-knit friendship we had in high school is to know what is going on in their lives and to act as if there is no distance between us. Whether I'm talking to my friend in Arizona or New York, I like to think that they are right here with me in New Jersey. Sometimes talking about old memories or new memories made without your friends is also a good conversation to have. It shows we are both growing individually and as friends. Along with learning how to deal with long distance, we are also learning how to adjust to these new phases in our lives. A friend is a friend no matter the distance and a friend will remain your friend if it is meant to be.