For a lot of people moving can be a stressful time. Especially if that move is across the country or even to another continent. Moving away from friends and family can be scary if you’re doing it all alone. Not to worry! Now saying goodbye doesn’t have to mean forever. There’s plenty of ways to keep in touch with friends and loved ones. Sometimes you just have to think outside the box!
Keep in Touch with Handwritten Letters
With the invention of the internet and social media, people can keep in touch now like never before. In an instant you can chat with someone on the other side of the world, but what happens when that becomes mundane? Sometimes all the media in your life can start to wear you out. Take a break from technology and kick it old school. Show off your penmanship and take a crack at good old-fashioned letter writing!
Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve written a letter. That’s all right. Here’s an easy way to get started:
- Make a list of all the things you want to say.
- Pick out your favorite topics from that list.
- Expand on those topics until you have a draft of the letter.
- Read draft and revise.
- Find the appropriate paper for your real letter and go to town!
Try starting a story together. You can write a couple sentences or a paragraph and mail it along with your letter. Your friend can continue the story and mail it back to you. Before you know it, it will be easy to keep in touch. As the story progresses you’ll want to know what happens next! Feel free to add doodles and artwork to really personalize your letter. If drawing is not your thing, you can even spruce it up by simply using decorative paper.
Cardboard and Crafts Galore!
Fresh out of ideas for what to write about when trying to keep in touch? Who needs writing when you can decorate! Maybe you’re more of a Michelangelo than a Shakespeare. Put those art skills to good use and get crafting! Keep in touch, with anything from souvenirs, to trinkets of your own creation. Take all of those left over moving boxes and materials and turn them into magnificent creations of your choosing. The possibilities are endless.
The Tech Savvy Way to Keep in Touch
Though technology can seem overwhelming at times, it can provide us with several ways to keep in touch across long distances. Platforms like Skype and Snapchat allow us to video chat on our computers, laptops and mobile devices. Those of you that are more tech savvy can keep in touch with a game of photo tag. It’s like regular tag except you can play across countries and continents. Post a picture of you doing something and tag/challenge your friend/relative to post a picture of them doing another activity. Facebook and Instagram are great platforms to keep in touch with via photo tag.
Take things to the next level and keep in touch by creating a shared social media page. Start a YouTube channel and take turns sharing what’s new in your lives. Use Twitter and Vine to send short updates and videos to your friends around the world. Print out your photos from photo tag, captions from your video posts and tweets, and combine them with your letters and crafts to make a beautiful collage.
What are some of your favorite ways to keep in touch? Share them with me in the comment section below!