Distance in any relationship can be a hard challenge to navigate. Specifically for friendships, maintaining that relationship means a lot of phone calls, Facetime chats, and texts back and forth. Feeling loved in a friendship can be difficult if distance is a factor, but it’s absolutely doable.
Many people have friends who live far, whether across the country or even in a different country. Friendship is not defined as two people who live next door to each other (but who doesn’t want to live next door to their BFF?!).
Making sure you’re being consistent with your friend who lives far away is a way to maintain the relationship. Staying consistent helps to deepen the bond you two have and helps with vulnerability. But another great way is to give them a present as a going away gift that will continue to show them intentionality.
Gifts communicate a lot and are also one of the five love languages. First designed by Dr. Gary Chapman, the five love languages include:
- Physical touch
- Quality time
- Words of affirmation
- Gifts
- Acts of service
These love languages help to communicate to someone that they are loved and giving a gift is a large portion of how many people feel loved!
Wondering what gifts would be good for a friend moving away? We’ve got those answers for you here! Read on to see what you can buy to make sure your friend is feeling loved as they embark on their new adventure.
The Perfect Gift
Let’s stop there. The perfect gift actually doesn’t exist, so don’t stress! Whatever gift you choose to give your friend will ultimately be the best one. Instead of focusing on what would be perfect, focus on what would best suit them and their wants and needs. Intentionality over perfection!
We’ve got some great gift ideas for those friends. Hopefully, you’ll find the “one” on this list!
A Photo Album or Scrapbook
Curate your favorite photos that the two of you have together and put them all together in a photo album or scrapbook. Sure, they could see these photos on their phone, but being able to pick this up from their coffee table after a long day and flip through to see all the memories shared will be an incredible gift.
With a scrapbook, you can add silly stickers on the side, write a sweet note next to a photo, and completely customize it. It’s a special gift for them to flip through whenever they need it.
Customized Spotify Music Plaque
Customizable acrylic plaques are a wonderful gift idea to give your best friend. Put you and your BFF’s song on it, paired with a photo of you two that you can put directly on it, and they can put the plaque anywhere in their home as a reminder of you two jamming out to your song.
Best of all, they can scan the Spotify code on it and instantly listen to the song whenever they want!
As stated previously, you can have it as a plaque that they can pair with a wooden stand, or you can get the option that works as a night light they can put on their bedside table, or they can have it as a keychain. The possibilities are endless!
Spa Gift Basket
Consider sending your best friend a relaxing spa gift basket once they’re settled into their new place. This housewarming gift would show your friend how much you love them in a practical way that they are sure to appreciate!
Your friend just made the big move and they’re probably in need of some relaxation time and a good, long bubble bath. Tailor the gift basket to your specific friend’s needs and what they like.
Add in a lavender candle, a few bath bombs, some bubble face masks, lotion, and whatever else you think your friend would benefit from. Gift baskets are a great option for a friend to make sure they feel loved and missed!
New Sneakers
Moving to a whole new city means there will probably be a lot of walking involved. Especially if it’s a big, walkable city such as New York, San Francisco, or Portland. A good pair of sneakers that they can throw on as they head out the door would be a wonderful addition to their closet.
Make sure you know their style by looking at past photos of themselves they may have posted with sneakers or do a quick Pinterest board stalking to see what they’re looking at currently so you can get the best option for them.
Lovebox
The world’s first love note messenger, Lovebox is a terrific gift for that friend that lives far away. This gift is one that keeps on giving and can be used all the time.
It works by pairing with an app and through that app, you can send photos, love notes, drawings, stickers, and more! When your friend receives your personalized message, the heart on the front of the Lovebox will spin. All they have to do is take the lid off to see your message revealed.
This gift is a unique way to talk to your friend and goes beyond regular communication and delivers special expressions of affection.
Through the app you can create your own stickers, schedule when your messages are sent, even get reminders to send a message, and save everything you’ve sent to look back on later. It’s a fun and interactive way to communicate with your friend that goes beyond just a text. Better yet, when your friend receives the message they can spin the heart and it will send a flood of hearts back to you on the app!
The perfect gift doesn’t exist, but this might be a great option to make sure you and your friend are staying connected and feeling appreciated even miles away!
Personalized Map Print
A print that your friend can hang on their wall is a gift that they can look at all the time! Be crafty with this idea by getting two maps of the separate locations you’ll be at and cut them into the half shape of a heart.
Put the two half of the hearts together so it creates one large heart that shows both of the locations. Write a sweet note underneath about how much you’ll miss them but that distance has nothing on you guys. Get a frame for the print so it’s nice and protected and they can hang it up in their home forever.
A Guide for Their New City
Create a guide for your friend all about the new city or country they’re moving to! Do some research on the place to get a better idea of the area and what you think your friend will love. Write down ideas of coffee shops they can try, new bookstores they’ll love, a few beautiful parks that they can do their walks in, a monument they have to visit, or any events coming up that you’re made aware of!
This is an incredibly sweet and personalized gift that will help your friend to be more acquainted with where they’re moving to. This might also be good for those friends that are nervous about moving and will help them to have more excitement and anticipation for the new adventures to be had ahead.
Wine Glasses
Are you two wine lovers? Gift your friend some nice, quality wine glasses! Send these to your friend after they move so they don’t have to worry about breaking them in the boxes on the way there.
Not only is it a great housewarming gift, but it’s also a sweet reminder to them that you can still drink together—maybe not physically—but you’ll always be at the forefront of their minds when they drink for the wine glasses you got them.
Gift Card for Groceries or Dinner
We all know that moving isn’t cheap. With all the expenses that come along with it, your friend would absolutely be grateful for a gift card to buy some groceries to stock up the new home or have a nice, relaxing dinner at one of their favorite places.
Whether it be a prepaid amount on a gift card or a certain amount sent to their Venmo account, your friend is sure to be thankful for this gift.
Distance Has Nothing on a Good Friendship
Being far from your best friend can be hard. Sometimes all you want is to sit down for coffee with them and chat. Although you might not be able to physically do that, you can still connect all the time not only through phone calls and texts but also through some of these great interactive gifts.
True friendship can withstand miles separating you two. Make sure you’re being consistent with them as much as possible, connecting with them in ways that will help them feel special, and being the same great friend you would be in person.
Sending your friend a gift that you both can use and remind one another of each other is a great way to connect even miles apart. As we’ve said, there’s no perfect gift, so don’t stress or overthink it too much. Pick something for your friend that you know they’ll love because really, you know them best!
Whether it be a pair of new kicks, a personalized art print, or something from Lovebox, your best friend is sure to love it because it came from you and that’s all that matters in the end.
Sources:
What are The 5 Love Languages? | 5 Love Languages
Why Consistency Matter in Relationships | Modern Wellness Counseling
10 Tips to Make a Long-Distance Relationship Work | Psychology Today
