Take the Time to Date Your Friends
Disclaimer: I'm not talking about dating your friends, romantically. I'm talking about treating your friendship (gal pals) like a romantic relationship and treating it like you would any other "relationship."
Okay, here we go...
Being an only child, I’ve always gravitated towards the older generation, like my parents’ friends, rather than those of my own age. However, the friendships I do have, once I’m in it, you’re stuck with me for life. That’s just how it goes.
Most of my best friends are those that I’ve either had since childhood or at least the awkward stages of jr. high and high school. Just like a romantic relationship, you have to make time for your friends. There will be periods of time where your schedules are all over the place and you don’t have time to meet often. There are times when one of you is going through a big life shift, so the other has to pull some of the weight when it comes to planning a get together. Friendships change and adjust as you do.
But, regardless of how long it’s been or what’s going on, I’ve found that there are a few things that one can do to keep the friendship spark alive.
Coffee Dates
These are reserved for those special heart to heart moments that happen when it’s one-on-one - something is weighing on your heart, you need someone to analyze that guy you’re texting or you just need to simply vent. It’s comforting to have one of your best pals around and have a cup of Joe, while you talk through stuff. Those are some of my favorite moments with my gals and a few guy friends, too.
Road Trip
There’s nothing better than cruising down the highway with one or a few of your best pals, singing out 90s hits at the top of your lungs or laughing so hard until you can’t breathe. I feel like that’s a great time to reconnect and remember why you became friends in the first place, if it’s been awhile or sometimes it gives you the chance to get to know friends better. It doesn’t have to be a week long trip - just pick somewhere 45 minutes out of town and see what there is to explore. You see people at their best and worst on road trips - navigating, dealing with hotels and other logistics, and simply just being in a confined space for a long amount of time.
A Night on the Town
I think we can all agree that life is just a bit too much sometimes. And sometimes, you don’t need to analyze or talk about work, you just need to do something fun, like wear a fun dress and lipstick for dinner and a movie. Or go to a show and sing your heart out to your favorite songs. It keeps it interesting and fun!
Random Text Messages or Phone Calls
While I do have constant conversations going with some of my friends about my daily life, sometimes all it takes is a gif of Chris Pratt doing a dance from “Guardians of the Galaxy” or a clip from their favorite TV show to just let them know that you’re thinking about them. Or send them an inspirational saying reminding them that they’ve got this, if they’re in the middle of a crazy week at work or a big deadline is coming up.
Visit a Theme Park or other Attraction Close By
I live close enough to Southern California, so my friends and I frequent amusement parks, like Disneyland and Universal Studios, because we have season passes. If you can survive a theme park with screaming children, long lines, hot weather, crowds and the like, you are truly friends for life. If you don’t live near an amusement, plan another adventure, like a hike or visit a museum nearby. Pick something that you can learn or enjoy together.
Sleepover
A good ‘ole fashioned sleepover is sometimes just the ticket to get away from it all, whether it’s out of town or at someone’s house. There have been plenty of times when it’s been months before I see certain friends, because our schedules don’t always line up perfectly. So when the opportunity presents itself, we take advantage of staying at one of our houses - watching movies, gabbing until the wee hours of the morning, laughing at nonsense and eating junk food. Because we’re adults and we can. I've come to the realization that certain things I take for granted will not always be this way. Before we know it, we'll be married, have kids, traveling more and with that comes much more responsibility and less time for friends and the things we can do now.
Life is busy. It’s easy to get caught up with to-do lists and social media and our daily responsibilities. But, when you find your people, you fight for them. You make time for them. You celebrate with them. You make it through the good times and bad, because that's what life is. I don't know where I would be without the support of the people around me, letting me vent, letting me be who I am, but also giving me encouragement and words of advice when I need it. Find your community and hold them tight.
That's all for now,
Shelby