Welcome back and Happy Valentines Day (or Galentines Day in my case)!! I am here to chat about gal-pals and their importance as well as open up about how long distance relationships with your bffs are incredibly hard, but incredibly worth it.

** very important PS at the bottom of this post **

Distance is one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. Proximity in relationships is something so valuable, yet often taken for granted. And once taken away, it takes daily, conscious actions to maintain those cherished relationships.

Romantic long distance relationships are difficult, nearly impossible honestly, and physical connection is a major part of that. Technology nowadays allows us to have much more hope for closing in on the distance, but screens can only get you so far. Romance is harder to come by and intentionality plays a much larger role. When getting to know someone has a max capacity set my miles, relationships are not often set up for success.

BUT I am not here to talk about boys! I am here to talk about long distance relationships of the friendship variety. Let me just start by saying that moving across the country shows you who your friends are, whether you like it or not. Those who reach out to you every day, those who ask you about your life, those who continuously make it a priority to call/FaceTime weekly and even daily, those people stand out. As well as those who understand the craziness of life and give grace for missed phone calls and voicemails, and 3 days later understanding the, “oh my gosh, idk HOW I overlooked this text!!!!” because life is hard and busy and full.

Hear me when I say this, true friends are WORTH IT. Nothing can compete with a long, hard day, and a glass of wine in hand with your bestie on the other end of the line, listening to you complain and tell stories while UNDERSTANDING and knowing you. Making new friends and meeting new people is awesome, it really is. You can never know enough people or have enough friends. And making new friends, who become true friends, in proximity to your new location, is VITAL.

But so is maintaining those relationships with people who know you. 

If you ask any of my closest friends, they will say that to feel safe and to feel known are two of the most important parts of who I am. I like people knowing that I’m always early and that I have a Jonas Brother CD in my car at all times and that bottomless mimosa brunches make immensely happy. New friends get to learn those things, which are nice, but older friends know these things.

LDR’s have some exciting aspects like planning all kinds of trips all over the place.
Where can we meet in the middle?
When can you get time off?
What’s your budget and what are you packing?
Those questions are FUN.

And when you get together, it is like no time has passed at all.

It’s hard to be away from your best friends. It’s hard when you are in different time zones. It’s hard to be on different ends of the country while daily life is happening and you just wish that your bffs were there to grab coffee after work or last minute mexi and margs on Tuesdays. I’ve listed just a few fun ways to keep up your long distance BFF relationship:

1. Snail Mail: Send your bestie a letter! I have found so much joy in picking out perfect letters for all of my friends. There is a whole world that is stationary that I didn’t even really know existed until I  moved away. Anthropolgie probably has my favorite cards! They are witty and unique. And stamps are cheap people! So go find your nearest mailbox and send your galentine a letter.
2. Facetime: Definitely a game changer. My advice for this is plan it out! You can definitely chance it and call without notice, which sometimes might work. But if you want to hang out with your bff and have a full on 2 hour Facetime session, figure out a time that works for you both and put it in your planner.
3. Girl’s Getaways: Plan a fabulous weekend to meet up with your girlfriends and make tons of new memories. These trips become trips that you will remember forever. Or at least remember most of (;
4. Make birthdays and holidays a fun excuse to send gifts: I will admit, I am just now sending Halleson’s Christmas gift and it is February… But it is still a fun way to let your bff know that you are thinking about them and for them to get a fun treat in the mail.
5. Starbucks $$$: Nothing better than gifting your friend 5 Starbucks dollars when they are having a rough day or need a pick-me-up. A quick text saying “treat yourself”, can really brighten their day!

So after you’ve celebrated your man, go celebrate your galentine! Send her a quick text or even a letter in the mail letting her know how much you appreciate her and love being her friend.

Valentine’s Day is a day for love and for letting the important people in your life know just how much you care about them; friends and family alike.

 What are your plans? Do you have any fun Galentine’s ideas or ways to make LDR’s easier? Let me know in the comments below!! 

Well after work I’ve got plans with one of my new ~local~ friends to sneak food into a theater and see Fifty Shades Darker and I am pretty dang excited about it.

Happy Valentine’s Day frenzies <3

‘Til next time,

 

VERY VERY IMPORTANT PS: I have many wonderful and cherished bffs on the East Coast that are not pictured here!!!!
Halleson and I have a common love for photoshoots, literally nothing makes us happier. But I have many other incredible friends that mean the world to me.
Shoutout to you guys for putting up with me for so long <3