I find that it can be hard to always remember to reply to a text, especially if it’s something as simple as a “how are you?”, so one way to keep in contact and stay updated with your friends lives is to schedule a weekly phone call. It doesn’t have to be for very long or the same time every week but it’s nice to know you are both making the effort to catch up and keep in touch with each other.
Voice notes are a nice way of staying updated without the pressure of having to reply quickly.
One thing that me and my friend do is – because she knows I’m such a bad replier (always have been, always will be) – that she sends me voice notes updating me on what’s going on in her life and what country she’s ended up in next! She knows what I’m like and so she doesn’t expect me to reply straight away but if something new happens that she wants to tell me about then she’ll just send another voice note without waiting for me to reply. This is a nice way to stay updated without the pressure of having to reply quickly then getting stuck in a text conversation at the wrong time.
Something else nice to do is to invite your friends to your new city so you can become a tour guide in your new place. This can also help to put a name to the faces and places when you tell them your stories. Of course, it’s important to remember that everyone will be going through this transitionary period where they are trying to make a life for themselves and in the process you may find that you lose some friends but also gain others. Try to be kind to yourself and your friends at this time, because you can always get back in contact once life has settled down and become less hectic for all of you.