When living thousands of miles away from family, it can be challenging to stay in touch and maintain a strong bond. Although you may miss your loved ones, there are still ways to remain connected and close to one another. If you’re a long distance from your family members, there are a few tips to follow to ensure you maintain your connection.
Connect Using Old & New Methods
Although it may be impossible to see your loved ones consistently when you live on different continents, you can still get the chance to talk face-to-face due to technology. Make it a point to call each other throughout the week to discuss your activities and any news that you can share. Video calls like Facetime or Skype will not only allow you to hear each other but also see each other. It can be easy to forget you’re living in different places if you’re able to see your loved ones and their surroundings consistently.
Sharing photos and connecting on social media will also prove to be useful in caring for your relationship and allowing it to thrive. You can continue to be updated on their day-to-day life without feeling out of the loop. Sending photos can also allow you both to envision each other’s workplaces, homes, and surroundings each day.
Sending mail and gifts to their address is an additional way to show your love and give them items that you know they’ll enjoy. You don’t have to send large gifts to show that you’re thinking of your family. Consider sending a greeting card every week or two, which can brighten their day and remind them of your close relationship. Sending pictures of yourself in the mail will also allow them to feel like you’re close.
Celebrate Holidays and Birthdays
One of the most important parts of maintaining your relationships with your family members is by celebrating holidays and birthdays throughout the year. Just because you’re not in the same place in the world doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate someone that you love. You can show how much you care and allow the other person to feel valued by sending gifts or cash for their birthday or Christmas.
You may be hesitant to send cash in the mail, and for good reason. You can always opt to send an international money transfer which will safely send the funds through a protected service when you want to send a gift to your loved ones. You can have peace of mind knowing the money will arrive safely and will be received by your family member. Not only will sending the funds prove to be thoughtful and caring, but it’s something that can be used and show you are thinking of them even from a long distance away.
Plan Vacations in New Destinations
Instead of visiting each other where you live to spend time together throughout the year, consider visiting a new destination on a trip you can both take, which will be exciting. It can allow you to create new memories and have an escape from where you currently live. Planning a trip together each year can allow you to look forward to spending quality time together and make up for lost time as you live in different places.
Not only will you enjoy your trip, but the planning process can be an opportunity to spend more time on the phone as you brainstorm where you want to travel to and plan your itinerary. Set aside a few hours each week where you talk on the phone and research activities or attractions to enjoy on your trip to ensure it’s something you can both look forward to in the coming months.
Although it’s not easy living far from your family, there are ways to ensure you stay close to one another. With a bit of time and with the use of technology, you’ll forget that you live a plane ride away from each other due to the time and effort that you invest.
