In this day and age, we are more connected than ever. Yet when you have close friends or loved ones who live far away, whether they’re away at a different college or a new friend from a summer camp, sometimes a text or video call can feel like it’s not enough to keep in touch with friends. Below, we’ve compiled six creative and thoughtful ways you can keep in touch with friends!
Use the wonders of the internet to send them something silly and wonderful. For those friends (or, I suppose, frenemies) that you don’t mind messing around with a little, consider sending them glitter. If you want a bit cleaner of a gift, you can also mail your friends a potato, or, if they’re into it, bacon.
Just because you can’t watch TV together in person doesn’t mean you can’t do it over Facetime or Skype. Pick a show and a time, plug in your phone and laptop, and watch away! Even though nothing can fully replace a movie night in person, a good way to keep in touch is to have virtual movie nights. If you’re not into movies or don’t have the time, you can do a virtual coffee date and talk over a cup of coffee on each end before you both start your day.
There are few things as exciting as opening your mailbox and seeing an unexpected envelope bearing the name of a good friend. If you’re feeling artsy, you can make a cute card or postcard, but it would be just as appreciated to buy a cute card or postcard from a bookstore or shop and head to the nearest post office (most universities have them in the Union building) and mail your note.
This is a great way to keep in touch and make a friend feel special for their birthday, but sometimes it’s even better to send a card for a non-occasion, just to say hello! If you’re abroad, make sure to send a postcard from whichever place or attraction you’re writing from.
If mailing postcards is intimidating for the millennial generation, then packages can feel even more confusing. However, the US Postal Service has made it pretty easy to send a package with very little fuss.
Just pick out the cute treasures and snacks that you want to surprise your friend with, head over to the post office, put them in a flat rate box, and send them off! This is another great way surprise someone for their birthday or even just to say hi. Make sure to include a note to explain what you got (and sprinkle in some glitter if you want to be just a little devious).
If driving to the post office and packaging things yourself isn’t your cup of tea, you could always find something for them online and have it sent to their address. This can range from very cheap to somewhat expensive, though, so make sure to look at the costs of the items as well as shipping costs. You could even order them a pizza or some food from a delivery place near where they live!
Additionally, keep an eye out for free shipping days (often in December), and consider buying books and movies that ship through Media Mail, which is often cheaper than regular shipping for those items.
You’ve probably heard of those new subscription boxes where you can get exciting things delivered to your door each month. Well, many of these companies have free or heavily discounted “first box” deals that you can take advantage of and then cancel your subscription before having to pay more.
Sending your far away friend an exciting box will be to sure to have you two keep in touch, plus, it will make a great impression without running your debit card dry. A great list of free and discounted subscription box deals can be found here.
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