Life at a Distance: Five Positive Takeaways

Nowadays distance is no longer a problem and most of our friends and family are not just a phone call away, but also just a video chat away. Prior to everyone staying at home, we had busy lives at school, work, or even both. Sometimes we didn’t make the time to visit our friends a few minutes down the road, or call our friends or relatives living in other places.

That has changed, and many of us find ourselves doing our part and staying inside rather than heading out. We moved away from our windows, or public places, and turned to our bedrooms or living rooms to stay in touch and reconnect with friends.

We’ve started talking more to our parents, roommates or even our pets, that just a few feet away from us, and we discovered there was so much more to learn from them.

Read more to learn the five positive takeaways of managing our friendships and relationships at a distance!

1. Reengaging Group Chats

Here at EdOdyssey, we firmly believe that travel really does change people, that having the experience of living in other cultures reshapes our minds into a more inclusive and humble way of thinking about life and others. Now that the world needs us to slow down for a moment, and technology has come to our rescue.

Some applications we have used for a long time now have issued updates to accommodate the need of more users in a single session. Whatsapp, for example, doubled its capacity to handle up to 8 users for video calls, and Google Meet became free to use for any users, whether they have a business account or not.

Social media and messaging apps become more important to keep these connections alive.  

2. Sharing more on Social Media

Never have we paid so much attention to our friends’ Instagram stories. And so, technology has helped us build virtual bridges that in just a few seconds tell us how everyone’s day is going, we can catch up on the latest with just tapping into a chatbox. There are now applications that say when people are available for phone calls to avoid calling someone when they’re not available.

But no matter how advanced our technology is today, what this actually tells us is that the connection between ourselves and our loved ones remains, despite the circumstances. This sentiment is especially true for those of us who have had the chance to travel.

3. Reconnecting With Old Friends

We have the opportunity to connect with friends on the other side of the world, another area in our region, or even a different state or time zone. The time that we’ve spent living somewhere away from home has given us the opportunity to learn about what makes us different, but also about what we share, and in the things we shared we built friendships.

We have laughed and cried with our new friends, we have been homesick with our new friends, and we have grown together even in our time apart from each other. 

4. Remembering meaningful moments

As we have returned to our lives back home, we too have physically distanced from those friendships from abroad with whom we once spent daily life, but we’ve gained perspective. If the added time at home has taught us anything, it has shown us that reconnecting with them will always feel like the last time we saw each other was yesterday. 

We may have had very little time in our lives in the past to reach out and ask how they are doing, but they were always in our thoughts. And if for some reason we never got to sending that text message, we have learned that it is never too late to pick up the phone and reconnect.

5. Embracing Positivity and Gratitude

From everyone at EdOdyssey, we want to thank you for doing your part during this time and sharing your light with the world. Our teams wants to encourage you to never let go of your adventurous spirit. If you are reading this as an avid traveler, a prospective study abroad student, a passionate teacher, or an EdOdyssey alum, please know that we appreciate you.

We have more options and opportunities than ever, but we have to share those feelings. If it’s a text, or any audio, say hello and you’ll be surprised what you receive in response! Follow us in the social media links below and engage with us!