Having best friends that live halfway across the country is easily one of the most rewarding— and frustrating— blessings. There are some things you learn about having a best friend who’s not present in your daily life. Invaluable things that end up saving your ass more often than not. Here's 11 things I learned about having long distance BFFs, and if you have some too, don't hesitate to let 'em know how much they mean to you.
1. You will always have an open “vacation” spot.
Doesn't matter if it's Wisconsin, Mississippi, New Jersey, or North Carolina; I always have somewhere to go, even if it's not a traditional "vacation" spot. I'm always down for the most, "nonrelaxing vacation ever" playing auntie to my favorite babies.
2. No time is too much time.
The first two days seem to drag before you find your stride (unpacking, setting up, etc) and then suddenly time is flying in hyperspeed. Nothing goes faster than a week spent laughing it up with your bestie and her fantastic fam.
3. (And you appreciate every second).
You can’t really get sick of her. You know you’re on borrowed time, and eventually you have to return back to reality, so there’s really no time to spend by yourself. You soak up every second you get with her because you never really know when the next time you’ll see her is.
4. You religiously stalk her life through any form of communication you can.
Sometimes I learn some of my best dirt from Facebook and Twitter. Sure, I learn more when I go directly to the source, but constant social media updates on her whereabouts aren’t so terrible either, especially if I don’t always have time to fire off a quick text (yes, we’re all really that busy).
5. You don’t have to talk every day to maintain a relationship (and you really don’t).
We can go days, weeks, or months without talking to each other and pick up right where we left off. The gossip is almost juicier that way. Besides, that’s how I know our relationship is built to last. I don’t need to spend every day with them, because we are just as close after time apart as we were when we did spend every day together.
6. You miss the crap out of them, constantly.
Nearly every conversation begins with, “I miss you SO much.” While missing each other when we’re apart is a really great indicator of how much we care, it’s also a glaring reminder that I don’t get to see my girls everyday. It makes me jealous of those who do have that luxury. Sometimes I’ll just be sitting, doing nothing really, and a wave of missing them comes over me so fiercely I could cry.
7. You never run out of things to talk about.
There’s always something to say when you do see each other again. Usually you’ve already kept up on the gossip so you don’t need to recap that, but you fall right back into the same old conversational patterns you had when you spoke everyday. You’ve probably forgotten just how weird they are (which is why you like them so much, if we’re being honest), and how weird you can be with them (that’s how you bonded in the first place after all).
8. You can be yourself with them.
You don’t have to worry about making them like you. They wouldn’t still be in your life if they didn’t. You know they know the real you, because over nontraditional means of communication (texting, phone calls, Facetime), anything goes. You don’t have to worry that they’ll be grossed out if you pee while they’re on the phone. After all, they used to stand with you in the stall, so…
9. Conversation flutters between old and new memories.
Usually when you see your local friends every day, there’s rarely a reason to talk about memories. You’re typically in the process of making new ones, or planning to make new ones. With long distance best friends, you have more time to explore your past. Old memories are just as important to talk about as planning to make some new ones.
10. You get jealous of their local friends.
You know all of the intimate details of her friends’ and families’ lives as if they were your own. And you're judging the shit out of that one girl who gives her hell and you're secretly jealous of her local BFF, even though you know she's too awesome not to have friends. Besides, you're also grateful that someone's there for her, especially when you can't be.
11.You couldn’t do life without them.
Do I miss being able to see them every day? Absolutely. But I wouldn’t trade having them in my life for anything in the world. We have gone through so many unspeakable things together: the good, the bad, and the truly ugly. They have made me the woman I am today, and for that I am eternally grateful. I couldn’t get through today, or tomorrow, or the next day, without knowing that they are out there in the world doing their thing and kicking ass. I couldn’t do it without knowing that sometime soon they’re going to have some great stories for me.
Bonus: You've seriously contemplated moving your entire life out to her at least once (probably more than once).
Wisco, here I come! Now let your long distance bestie know how much you appreciate her.
