One of my favorite parts about going to a large university outside of my home state is that you get to meet people from all over the country, and even the world. However, if you're like me, going home for the summer sucks, because your friends are spread out all over the country. In my group of close college friends, the closest lives seven hours away and the furthest lives 40 hours away from me. While not being able to make a quick drive to see each other sucks, there are some benefits. I guess that I have a love/hate relationship with the situation.
Pro: Always having someone to show you around in different cities. Do you have a friend that lives in DC? Visit them and have them show you around the capital. A friend in San Francisco? Have them show you all the sights from the Princess Diaries movies (among other distinguished sights of course). A helpful tip for when you try to convince your parents to let you go, is to tell them that you will be visiting "educational" and “cultural" sites. Parents eat that stuff up!
Con: Actually getting to visit cool cities is very unlikely on a college student's budget. But hey, it's always an option when you all become rich and famous after graduation.
Pro: If you live in different time zones, you always have someone to text you late at night when you can't sleep. Need someone to keep you entertained at 3 A.M.? Text your friend in California, they're probably still up!
Con: Accidentally texting West Coast friends and forgetting the time difference. While you're probably used to texting your friends to let them know that you're up at an ungodly hour, resist the urge. Trust me, you don't want to wake them up at 5 A.M. their time because its 8 A.M. your time. They will not be happy.
Pro: Always having somewhere to road trip to. Let's be honest, who doesn't love a good road trip? While a cross-country road trip may be out of the cards, a 7-hour one is totally doable. Pro tip: It's even more fun to pick up one friend on the way, and then drive to go see another friend.
Con: I don't think there is a con to road trips. Unless you run into some serious problems (a la that one Mary Kate and Ashley movie where their car gets stolen), you can't really have a bad road trip experience.
Pro: You get to learn how different things are, in different parts of the country. One of my favorite things to do with my friends is to talk about how different things are in each of our respective cities. From which grocery stores we shop at, to what we call different drinks, to our accents, it's always interesting to point out the differences.
Con: When you realize that you can't get that awesome thing that your friend was telling you about, in your home state. I go to school in the south, but I live in the mid-Atlantic region, so I cry a little every time I go to the grocery store at home and they don't sell Bluebell ice cream. The same goes for when my northern friends tell me about their awesome bagel places, and I can't get them.
All and all, I wouldn't change my long-distance friendships a bit. While at times it can be hard, its also one of the coolest things ever. Not only do I feel slightly more knowledgeable about places that I've never been to, but I also know that I'll always have a place to go if I do get to visit. I can tell you more about the Seattle Seahawks and the Oakland Raiders than I know about my own football team. Thanks, friends.
