Long distance relationships are tough work, and while that phrase usually conjures up images of separated significant others and star-crossed lovers, friendships also often suffer the challenges of distance. If you live far away from your best friend and go long periods of time without seeing each other, you have to put in a lot of effort to maintain your relationship – but trust me, it’s almost always worth it. If your best friend is soon celebrating a birthday and you won’t be able to make it to her to take part in the revelry, make sure you send along a wonderful gift sure to make her day and let her know you’re thinking of her.
A Work Day Surprise
You might not be able to take her to lunch yourself, but you can still make sure she eats her favorites on her birthday. Use a service like Grubhub, which will pick up food from a local restaurant and drop it off at the destination of your choosing—say, her desk at work? If you want to stick to the classics, you can always send flowers for her birthday straight to her doorstep to make her smile and let her know you’re thinking of her. Order it to be delivered while she’s at work so she comes home to a wonderful surprise.
A Video Project
If you’re not at least a bit tech-savvy this might not be the right gift idea, but if you know your way around a computer and you’re a queen of social media, you can make a video gift she’ll never expect but always treasure. Spend some time gathering photographed and filmed memories you have together. Scour her Instagram and Facebook for extra fodder if you don’t have enough on your own, and dig through any old videos you can. Put all of these together into a slideshow set to music and show all of the funny moments you’ve been through together. This will likely become one of her favorite gifts, and will help dull the sting of missing friendship time on down days.
A Technology Date
Nothing can beat face to face time, and since you’re far away, be sure to take advantage of all the amazing technology we have available at our fingertips. If she’s busy with friends or family on the day of her birthday, plan a Skype or Facetime date on another night of the week and spend time catching up. It can be easy to fall into the habit of texting and messaging, but taking the time to truly talk to each other will help you feel more connected and keep you better updated on each other’s lives.
A “From Home” Box
Perhaps it’s your best friend who has moved away. If you’re still in the town you both grew up in or an area she lived in for a while, why not make her a box of all the goodies she can only get when she visits? Maybe it’s cookies from that local bakery she loves, those specialty crackers from the cheese store in her old neighborhood, or even photos of her favorite places in her hometown. Augment these offerings with pictures of good memories that you’ve made together. You can also include a voucher to a local spot that they can look forward to using the next time they visit. That will give you both something to look forward to, and will ensure your box fully encompasses the past, present, and future of your friendship.
Start the Trip Planning
If you rarely get to see each other, your gift could be putting money towards a ticket for her to meet you somewhere fun. If you can’t afford her ticket and yours on your own, buy an airline gift card that she can use when the time comes to make the trip. You could also consider buying your own plane ticket to come directly to her in a few months’ time. It will give you both something amazing to look forward to.
Life can take us in different directions, and maintaining a long distance friendship is no easy feat. However, distance need not get in the way of letting your best friend know how much you love her and appreciate your friendship. If you want to help share in your bestie’s joy on her special day, make sure you send along the perfect gift to let her know you’re thinking of her.
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