The disconnect between your two ‘lives’ can make it hard to stay in touch with your friends back home because you each lead different lives, and sometimes lifestyles - you might be doing things you never thought you would before you started university. The 'long distance guilt' and “I’m so sorry, I was busy” text that follows a missed call can be overwhelming, but it’s okay to be busy and not give each other the same amount of attention. You just aren’t in each other’s lives in the way you used to be.
you’ll eventually find your rhythm and fall into patterns that work for you both.
As cliché as it sounds, communication is most certainly key. Let your friends know what you’re dealing with because it can take somewhere between a day, to three months to orient yourself, and you won’t always have time to keep in rigorous contact. Sometimes a “Sorry, I got busy” text is more than enough, and scheduled phone calls will give you both a chance to catch up on what’s been going on in your little corners of the world.
How people keep in contact varies depending on the person. Some long-distance friends talk every day, and some talk once a month. Your mode of communication can also vary, with so many options available to you, like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram and even email or snail mail, if you really want to be old-school. Don’t feel obligated to speak to your friends more than you feel is necessary because co-dependency is never healthy; you’ll eventually find your rhythm and fall into patterns that work for you both.
it’s okay to be busy and not give each other the same amount of attention.
While it may be tricky to navigate as you both grow into different people, you’ll find that it’s not always a bad thing. You’ll learn to complement each other, and your differing experiences will strengthen a bond that already exists. Long distance friendships are a lot like sourdough starters: you take them out of the fridge, feed them, and then put them back. You know they’re there, and the fact that you don’t talk to them every day doesn’t mean that you care less, it just means you have the space to go about your everyday life without worrying until the next time you need to feed it. The most important thing by far is being patient with your friends and especially with yourself. Making mistakes only means having a baseline to learn from, and it will make maintaining your relationship easier down the line.