For most of my adult life I have had long distance friendships. Me and my friends maintain a pretty regular friendship with 4,000+ miles between us. We met when they came here to the UK from America. They came here for a semester (around 4 months) to study and work at the church I attend. Long distance friendships, similar to long distance relationships can be hard to maintain but I’m here today to tell you why they are so worth it.
YOU APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU DO SPEND TOGETHER
You may only see your friends one or twice or even less than that a year. So the time you do get to spend together is cherished so much more. You find yourself planning to do exciting things so you can fill up the little amount of time you have with memories. Its almost like you cram in everything they have missed out on since you’ve been apart into the time you actually do get together.
YOU BUILD A STRONGER BOND
I guess because you don’t see each other often you have to put more effort into your friendship. Which in turn means that your bond grows a lot stronger. You have to start thinking of creative ways for you to connect without being in person. Me and my friends read daily devotionals together, we FaceTime and call each other. And although we don’t spend that much time together in person, my friendships with my long distance friends aren’t much different to my other friendships.
YOU TRAVEL TOGETHER MORE
Me and my friends have travelled together to some pretty amazing places. Which would never have happened if we didn’t live thousands of miles apart. I’ve met up with friends in New York, we have travelled to the Bahamas, road tripped across America and so much more. And none of this would have happened if we lived in the same country. As hard as it is sometimes, being far apart has its benefits.
TIME DIFFERENCE CAN WORK IN YOUR FAVOUR
There has been many times where I needed a friend late at night, and everyone close to me (in distance) have been asleep. Well the trusty -5 hour time difference to my friends works wonderfully when you cant sleep or have a lot on your mind at night. It means that I have a constant companion and friend to speak with. My 2am is their 9pm, so if I ever need an ear to listen they are there for me.
With any long distance friendship or relationship it really can be hard sometimes, especially to maintain a “normal” level of friendship when you only see them once or twice a year. I really appreciate all of my long distance friendships and I really wouldn’t have it any other way. It was hard at first, but now I see so much greatness from it.
Do you have any long distance relationships? Do you find it hard or do you like it? Let me know your thoughts on this topic below!
Olivia x
olivialucieblake.com 
I have made new friends through wordpress and they are not from where I am based 🙂 and yes, i believe long distance friendships are worth it! 🤗💛🌻
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Me too! Thats the beauty of the internet 😊 They are so worth it!
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Well, my boyfriend live six hours drive away from me so it has been very difficult with this distant relationship. Hmm! I personally won’t encourage anyone to engage in that especially when it’s not friendship but a relationship.
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I’m sure long distance relationships are alot harder than long distance friendships! Hopefully the gap wont be like that forever!
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Yes, hopefully.
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My best friend lives far away from me! We’ve been friends for 10 years! It’s hard but I couldn’t agree more, the time we spend together is so worth it. We also try to call and text each other lots!
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Yes me too! Technology is such a blessing in long distance friendships!
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Yes, I also believe long-distance friendships are worth it. I have some friends, they are so near in my heart but I met them once in a year. And I refresh my mind until the next meeting.
https://swarnaz.com/
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Me too, It can be hard but i wouldnt change it!
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I do have friends in my old state now..i miss them 😢 but will be visiting them again! My online friends however…i feel like i don’t know how to be so invested in online friends like i used to when i was in high school. Now im just half there 😪
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I think as you get older, it does get harder to maintain good friendships. I think its just the natural course of life. Some friends are there for a long time and some just for a season!
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Lovely write! Long distance friendships are definitely worth it but then again, all good friendships are. It’s the rarity of meetings that make each gathering so memorable as you rightly said. Loved reading through this post!
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Thank you!
You’re right, all good friendships are worth it. You make special memories that you wouldn’t have necessarily have made if you lived closely!
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I have a semi- long distance relationship with my friend Marty. She’s one of my best friends and I met her on twitter. I can’t imagine my life without her.
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Its amazing how social media and the internet allows us to connect with people worldwide that we usually wouldn’t be able to!
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If the friendship is solid, distance doesn’t matter 😊
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So true!
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I don’t have any long distance friends (although I’d love to make some UK friends!) but I do have a bestie that I don’t get to see very often and I can definitely relate to most of your points!!
Nicole | http://www.nicolesniches.com
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I can be your UK friend 🤗😂!
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Yes please!!!! 🤗🤗
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I have a ton of long distance friends from my years at uni living abroad, as well as my boyfriend not living in the same country as me! I still keep close contact with a lot of them and sometimes I find I’m closer to my friends abroad than the friends who are actually in the same country as me – which is amazing thanks to social media!
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You’re so right, I feel like the friendships can sometimes be stronger because you have to make more of an effort to communicate, catch up and remain friends!
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All my friends are long distance lol~ take you for example 😉
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And I am the best out of your friends 😉
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Up until Christmas last year, I spent on average one month at home each year for seven years. Being away for most of the year is tough going and, I think, only the strongest of relationships would survive it. There must be faith, trust and communication everyday. You miss out on a lot of things, so you need to embrace where you are. With long distance friends, it is so much easier. With my good friends, when we catch up, it’s as if nothing has ever changed.
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Thats a sign of a great friendship, time and distance shouldn’t mean anything if you have built your relationships on strong foundations!
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I really miss my best friend a lot. We can’t meet other as she lives in another state while I am in another. We are in the same clg and nowadays due to covid we connect through phone or video calls. I truly agree that long distance friendships are truly worth it. 😊🥰
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Technology is really a blessing at times like these!
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Yesss correct!😍☺️
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My husband and I met online and had a long distance relationship for a year before meeting in person! It definitely helped us get to know each other well. He used to send me care packages! Haha! We even wrote a song together that first “dating” year via distance (and everyone who hears it, loves it)! It’s on Vimeo.
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I want to hear it! Please send me the link 🙂
Me and my friends send each other care packages too, its always exciting receiving it in the mail!
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Okay, cool! Thank you.
Watch “Wonderin’” on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/416711742?ref=em-share
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Vast majority of my friendships are long distant with my constant travelling and meeting new people across the globe! Adored this article, so relatable for me! Would love your opinion on a few of my articles, think you’d like a few of them ☺️
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