My junior year of college I studied abroad in England. Aside from the fact that the British seem to be allergic to butter (which as a Southern is a cardinal sin for me; no offense, guys), England is fairly spectacular and the year that I spent there was easily one of the happiest/busiest times of my life. I was introduced to all kinds of things: Cheeky Nandos, Pimms, “Take Me Out” and adorable British slang like “taking the piss” (mocking/joking) and “gutted” (devastated/heartbroken; e.g. your favorite football team has lost, again; obviously, you're gutted). Best of all, I met some of the most legendary people I've ever known.
Maintaining these long distance friendships since I've been home has taken some considerable effort, namely long Skype sessions, never-ending WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger convos, and of course, dozens upon dozens of Snapchats (thank God for the internet, am I right?). But as time has shown, the effort has been totally worth it, and some of these across-the-seas besties have proven to be the most rewarding friendships.
Basically, if you work for it, long distance gigs can be the best, and here's why.
1. You never get sick of them.
A Year Abroad: Two Americans fall madly, hopelessly in love with Pimms.
Though best friends are totally, ya know, the best, sometimes even the ones we love the most can get on our last damn nerve. It happens. Especially when you're around someone constantly, which usually happens if you live close to your BFF. When there's a little space to breathe between you and your best friend, you spend more time missing them and less time wishing they would just go to their own house for five minutes and stop eating all of your cookie dough because of course they knew you wanted that last bite.
2. You are almost guaranteed to never fight with a long distance friend.
Let's face it, when there's an ocean, a country or even a few states separating you and your bestie, fighting just isn't worth it. Besides, if you never get sick of your friend, what's there to fight about, anyway?
3. You appreciate the time you have with them all the more.
I'm convinced that nothing short of the friggin' miracle of life is more spectacular than reuniting with friends after spending months apart. Everything from the holy-hell-this-is-the-tighest-hug-ever reunion at the airport/train/bus station to that first all-nighter spent gushing and catching up, reminiscing over all those good times you've shared over the years to causing mischief together again, all the way down to the teary-eyed goodbye—it's all perfect. Like a "Gilmore Girls "reboot that actually stars Melissa McCarthy.
4. Your long distance BFF is the absolute best person to vent to.
The care packages and endless string of letters are pretty awesome, too.
When you get pissed at the everyday people in your life, be that friends, family or co-workers, there are few things that relieve that stress and annoyance better than bitching to a friend in another country/state. Not only will they always have your back (regardless of the fact that okay, fine, it was your fault, whatever), but if you need advice, long distance besties can also offer a totally unique and outside perspective to the situation.
5. You always have a place to stay and an excuse to travel.
In December, two friends from England came to visit for Christmas break. After spending a week with me in Atlanta, the guys embarked on an American road trip (though I suppose they also technically flew, but whatever), covering four states and three regions of the U.S. all by crashing on couches/air mattresses of American friends they had made at university. And next month, I'll return to the great land of corgis and scones to crash in a friend's flat for a month before we jet off to Greece together. Having long distance friends almost always guarantees you a go-to travel destination and a travel buddy for life.
If you're worried about losing touch post-graduation, don't worry. Trust me, if your bestie is worth it to you, you can make long distance work.
