You often hear your parents say "Don't talk to strangers on the Internet", but what if that stranger turns out to be your very best friend?
Long distance friendships have their ups and downs for sure, but they're so worth it. Here are the positives and negatives of them:
Pros:
1. The big moment when you get to see them.
Meeting your best friend for the very first time in real life is one of the most magical experiences in the world. You'll feel so many happy and wonderful emotions at once, that your brain goes blank.
2. Telling them about your day.
Though they may not have experienced it with you, your best friend will enjoy hearing all about your day. They will love hearing how happy or sad you were, and it gives you a chance to stay up all night talking to them.
3. Growing separately.
Not being side by side each other can be a good thing sometimes because it puts your friendship to the test. Through the past four years, there have been periods of time in which I haven't talked to her in months, but we still pick up right where we left off. It will happen.
4. Mutual friends.
Your friends will become her friends and her friends will become your friends. After so long into the relationship, you'll eventually just blend into her life. It will be normal to talk to her other friends too, and vice versa. Some days when she isn't available, I find myself messaging her other best friends.
5. They are a phone call away, which is a lot closer than your other friends.
You can call them up, and they will be there. No matter if you are in a fight or haven't spoken in weeks, they will always be there. Friends tend to come and go, but long distance friendships have a way of being part of your life forever. In the wise words of Grey's Anatomy, they tend to be "your person."
Cons:
1. The most obvious... you can't see each other whenever you want.
Even after being friends for over four years and being only 657 miles apart, I still have yet to see her. It takes careful planning to coordinate meeting up.
2. The time difference can be a pain.
Finding a time when you're both available can be difficult. You have to make it work. Maybe some days you'll have to plan a time to talk that's really early for you, and other days you'll plan for a time that's really late for her. It's all about finding a balance between the two and making it work.
3. They can't be there for you physically when you need a pick-me-up.
When you're feeling down in the dumps, you're going to want to be with your best friend to watch movies, cry, and eat ice cream together. However, they're not always readily available. In fact, I've actually FaceTimed my best friend and cried to her over video chat. We were both eating ice cream and watching tv. You have to make do with what you're given.
4. You feel like you're missing out on major events.
So something really great just happened, or it's their birthday. You can't be there for them and it hurts because you feel like you're missing out.
5. Traveling is expensive.
As if finding a time to meet up wasn't stressful enough, there's also the money aspect of it. It's part of the reason why it's been four years and I still haven't seen my best friend, I just don't have the money to travel nearly 700 miles and neither does she. It's all about saving, saving, saving.
No matter how sad I may be that my other half is so far way, I'm so thankful for her. She has been there for me when nobody else has been, and I can't wait for the day in which I get to laugh with her, hug her, and see her in person.
This is dedicated to a very important person in my life, Megan.
