Loved the pics and post about the going away party for your friend's family. What is your advice for others striving to maintain relationships with far away relatives and friends?

I am by no means an expert on or a model of maintaining long-distance relationships. I am always wishing that I were better, but being the antisocialite that I am, it's no real surprise. I love blogging because you can still have a feel for people's daily lives which is what we miss so much when we're separated. Little things like Facebook, texts and IMs can help with a feeling of connectedness too- small, but personal regular interactions. One thing that I have done with Michelle and Hannah that I love, are our circle journals. I have 2 with each of them so that one of us can always have one. When I first moved we were really regular and sent them every week or so, but 3 years later that has really tapered off, which is okay with me. They are still such a unique space where we can share private thoughts, ask questions, doodle, include clipping, small gifts, and have a tangible physical record of our lives and our relationships. Even if a lot of time passes between entries sometimes, it's still a thrill to get one in the mail and it is still a lasting link between us.

Quiz Me!