It seems like almost an entire eternity ago when I left Queen Mary, rolling my oversized suitcase out of the blue gates for the final time, waving goodbye to the campus I came to call home for a semester. Along with leaving London, my flatmates, and so many of my favorite places within the city, I also had to part with friends that I had made throughout the course of the semester.

Unfortunately, the people who I grew the closest to do not live anywhere close to Michigan. Scattered across the US, it is not an easy trip to visit any of them. However, thanks to many of the technology and social media advances of this century, it is possible to keep in contact. Despite our geographical distance, we have made long-term friendship possible! Here are three ways to help stay in touch:

1. Set a date!

Although all of my friends from abroad are students—and busy ones at that—we have set specific dates for our reunions. This not only reinforces the idea that we will see each other again, but gives us all something to look forward to!

2. Social Media

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat – utilize them all! By regularly texting and forming group chats, we’re able to stay relatively in touch with each other and receive semi-regular updates on each other’s lives.

3. Reminisce, reminisce, reminisce

Part of what makes my friendship with the friends I made abroad so strong is the shared experiences we all are able to converse about. After spending an entire semester traveling across Europe, we have garnered an incredible amount of memories and funny stories. By sharing these memories regularly, I am reminded of how powerful my experience abroad was — by discussing them, they are not lost on any of us!