I don’t know about you, but all this time at home has me craving time with friends. While I love my family, I’m talking about spending some quality time with people who don’t live inside my house.
More than once, I have found myself hiding in my car to be alone or going on a pointless drive to escape my family and squeeze in an uninterrupted phone call with friends. Can you relate?
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are hopefully in what will be the final push of this pandemic. And let me tell you I’ve enjoyed all the family time, but I’m ready for the moment I can be reunited with my friends and extended family. But how to maintain a friendship during a pandemic is the big question, right?
Well, I’ve been making time to reconnect and maintain my friendships from afar. So, keep reading to learn about how I’m staying connected through this final push of the pandemic and beyond.
Start a book club.
It seems like every year, I add reading more to my New Years’ resolution, so why not use it as a time to reconnect with friends? While you’re at it, make it educational! I’ve been reaching out to all of my white friends and asking them to diversify their reading lists. If you are a person of color, this is also a great way to invite your white friends to do the work and create a safe space to explore and have difficult conversations in a judgment-free zone. Start a book club with your favorite gal pals with a once-a-month Zoom call to discuss.
Create a group Pinterest board and start planning your getaway.
In all honestly, all I can do is think about my great escape. There are so many options around LA, such as Palm Springs and Joshua Tree but I’m looking forward to my first friend’s trip to Napa. In the meantime, I’ll be curating our getaway and getting everyone excited with a shared Pinterest board.
If you’re not a Pinterest enthusiast like me, I highly suggest you try it. All you have to do is create a board and invite your friends to be a part of it. You can even develop sub-boards within the initial “Friend’s Trip” board and block out different destinations. Head to my girl’s trip inspiration board to see what we’re pinning together.
Schedule live virtual workouts together.
As a mama of two, having the flexibility to hit up a class on my own time is fantastic. Even though I don’t mind working out alone (or with my husband), it’s nice to get energized with a workout buddy. I’ve also found that many trainers are offering private workout sessions via Zoom. Doing live workouts together or hiring a virtual private instructor keeps you both on track and engaged. It’s a great way to push your workouts to the next level and connect with your BFF too.
Host a virtual wine class.
It’s no joke that alcohol sales in the US skyrocketed as we hunkered down in response to the coronavirus outbreak. While many people have leveled out in 2021 (shoutout to New Year’s resolutions!) I’ve decided to become more intentional about my wine consumption this year. I’ve always loved a happy hour with my friends or a quick drink after work with colleagues. Of course, we can’t do that right now. But, did you know that you can book virtual wine classes?
Through Corkbuzz, sommeliers walk attendees through regions, history, geography, producers, and information on wines. Zoom links are sent out by the instructor earlier in the afternoon, and attendees can view the class presentation screen. Attendees can drink wine tailored to the class or open any bottle of wine they have at home to drink along. So, grab your tribe, get dressed up and make a night of it with a wine tasting.
Send some snail mail.
And lastly, an oldie but a goodie, but this one makes a significant impact: letter writing. Get back into sending letters, love notes, cards, and even printing photos. Holiday cards are always a reminder of how much I love holding pictures so why not keep that tradition going throughout the year, too? Print out a photograph of you and your friends together on a trip or during a time that sparks special memories for you both, then write a little note, and put it in the mail. It will make their day, week, year!
How are you maintaining friendships during quarantine? Share your tips with us below.
