Staying connected with your friend overseas

One ocean to another-- Africa's far away!

Long-distance friendships aren't always easy. When you're getting off work and want to connect, it may be 4 in the morning where your friend resides. Or you're good at making phone calls, but those are expensive, so you have to write emails. And writing isn't your favorite thing in the world.

But you care about the friendship, so you try. Well, today I'm going to share some ways that help in staying connected even when sitting down for coffee together isn't possible.

Figure out what works, and do it regularly. 
Phone? Skype? Instant messaging? Handwritten notes? Don't diss it until you've tried it all. I've found that different friends are better at different types of communication, but if you care about staying connected, you need to find something that works.

Listen to understand.
Even if you can't relate to the scenarios, listen to what's going on and learn your friend's environment. It pays to remember random details, like their friends and colleagues' names, or pet peeves. Even if you can't identify with the situations they're finding themselves in, identify the emotions and relate to those.

Share normal life.
Something happens in your life? Share it. There's nothing like coming home to discover that someone died, or got married, or broke up with a boyfriend and you never knew. You burned dinner? Snap a picture and send it. Something funny happened? Tell the story. The little connections make a big difference.

Postcards. Or any cards/letters/etc.
Never underestimate the power of a note. You don't have to be a good letter writer, or even write anything long. Even if it's just a "I thought of you and decided to send this," sort of message, old-fashioned mail, with familiar handwriting, is amazing.

Don't be afraid to initiate.
Life gets busy on both sides of the globe. It's hard to get a read on how busy your friend is unless you connect... yet if they're really busy, connecting might be nearly impossible. So keep trying.

Forgive.
It's easy to be angry or feel neglected if communication isn't happening. But when it does finally happen, don't hold the failures in communication against your friend. Just be grateful for whenever it happens, and use it as a reference point for what works. 

And at the end of the day, our lives are made richer by the friendships we have. What sort of things have you found helpful for staying connected with friends long-distance?