Moving abroad is all about moving forward. It means you will experience a new culture and a way of life, meet interesting people and broaden your horizons. But it also means you’ll have to leave your whole world behind and figure out how to keep in touch with friends back home.
The good news is that with today’s technology and means of transport, communication won’t be impossible. The bad news is that it will still take a lot of work to conquer the distance. To help you figure out how to maintain contact once you move across the world, we have put together this short guide. Here are some of the most efficient ways to keep your friends up to date with the happenings in your life.
Social Media Is a Handy Tool for Keeping in Touch
Social media platforms have their downsides, but in your particular situation, they can be super useful. Websites and apps such as Facebook and Instagram allow you not only to chat with your loved ones but also to share content with everyone. Besides, you can easily control who has access to your profile, and you can limit that list to your closest friends and family if you choose to.
Video Chats Are Often the Best Way to Stay in Touch With Friends
Being away from your dearest ones can be challenging and, above all, frustrating. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, you are in a situation to be in touch with the people who matter to you both night and day. You don’t have to send letters and best wishes anymore and wait too long for the responses. Today, thanks to technology and the Internet, you shouldn’t dread international moving at all. It’s up to you and your pals to organize video-sessions or phone calls. After you’ve moved, you can rest assured that being in contact with your old friends won’t be mission impossible – it can become part of your lifestyle in a foreign country.
A Helpful Tip on How to Keep in Touch With Friends – Create a Routine
Depending on where you are moving, it might happen that you and your companions won’t be in the same time zone anymore. This will make keeping in touch harder, so you should make an effort to create a routine that works for all of you. Pick a day and time when both you and your buddies can take some spare moments to video call each other. This could be during your morning coffee or after you get off from work. Without a set routine, it will be too easy to stop talking as time goes by.
Choose the Method That Suits You and Your Friend the Best
It’s not easy to find a way to manage your own time. It becomes even worse if you’re trying to synchronize your leisure time with someone else’s time off. But to preserve your friendship and the same interests, it’s crucial to be organized. Whether it’s early in the morning or before saying good night, the scheduled friendly chats are some of the best remedies for loneliness and anxiety.
Designate a Time to Talk With Your Best Friend
You’ve probably noticed that sad feelings and anxiety usually knock on your door when you are disconnected from social activities or have nothing to do. This can be especially true when living in a foreign country all by yourself. The recipe for boosting your mood could be in setting your priorities straight and taking some time to preserve the bonds that matter to you the most.
Create your list with day-to-day tasks and (why not) wishes and try to accomplish them all, no matter how simple or funny they might look. Sometimes it is just one ordinary action enough to change your mind’s flow. If you planned to call your kindred spirit before dinner, do it. Talking to your best friend regularly can do wonders for your state of mind.
Stay Connected With Your Buddies
Once you move, settle down, and get accustomed to your new lifestyle, invite your buddies to come to visit you. People like to see new cities, countries, and attractions. They will not only get the chance to travel somewhere new but also to catch up and spend some quality moments with you. You could take them on tours around your new hometown, introduce them to your new acquaintances, and just have fun.
Plan Holidays and Weekends Together
If possible, you should plan holidays and weekends with your pals back home. It will give you something to look forward to if your life abroad gets a little too consuming. Dealing with everyday life in a foreign country can be less stressful if you fill your free moments with plans for the future.
Doing that from month to month, you’ll actually start to like these moments. Don’t forget to send greeting cards to your buddies for special occasions and their birthdays. That will let them know you’re thinking about them even if you are far away.
Some Friendships Will Inevitably Fade
When it comes to maintaining a long-distance friendship, there is only so much you can do. As we grow older, our schedules get more hectic, and some pals will inevitably fall through the cracks of your new life. It will start with the enthusiasm of keeping in touch slowly declining, and soon enough, you will find yourself only talking to them to wish them a happy birthday or to share some big news. Maybe you catch up over coffee once you go back to visit and promise each other you’ll talk more, both of you knowing that it will most likely not happen.
As time goes by, you’ll realize that some of your friendships become unimportant due to differentiated interests. And that’s okay. People move on, and you will always have some fond memories of that person to go back to.
Live Your Own Life and Enjoy New Things
In whatever direction your old friendships go, you shouldn’t neglect your current work and activities. Living abroad is demanding and can make you feel as if you were the most lonely person in the whole world, but keep in mind that’s only a temporary feeling. How to make friends when moving abroad and how to face new things should be important parts of your routine and current lifestyle. However, only faithful companions will stay by your side for good, no matter what. The distance doesn’t mean anything if the feelings between you and your friend are strong.
