Story by Leighton Kwok
Staff Writer
Recently, I had the privilege of traveling to Seattle by myself to stay with my friend, Cali, short for Calista, for three days. During my time in Seattle, I began to reminisce about when Cali and I first met at a Freedom of Speech Conference in Washington, D.C. Even though it was a year and a half ago, it felt like no time had passed. We caught each other up on our lives and watched movies like we had seen each other every day. There is something beautiful about that, being able to connect with someone, even if you lead completely different lives. We often hold the people we see in person closer, but what about long-distance friendships?
In one of our conversations, we both expressed how stressed we were about college applications and the worry that our relationships that rely on proximity may be hard to maintain. But it made me realize that distance doesn’t actually weaken a friendship; it just reveals which ones are worth your time and energy to keep going. Long-distance relationships require effort and intention but also offer a different type of closeness. You learn to appreciate conversations more and value efforts to stay in touch, celebrating when you are finally in the same place again.
Maybe the real challenge isn’t losing people, but learning how to hold onto the ones who matter in new ways. Long-distance friendships ask you to be present even when you’re far away, to show up through messages, calls, or spontaneous trips, and to trust that the bond is strong enough to survive the space between you.
Becoming a senior in high school makes you reflective about your life and how fast it is changing. The classmates that you see for eight hours a day, five times a week, are soon going to vanish from your life if you don’t make an effort to reach out. Most relationships will have to adjust. It is a strange feeling. I’m excited for what is to come but grieving some of the closeness I may lose.
Seattle reminded me that some connections don’t fade just because of the distance. Relationships are built on shared experiences, similar interests, or simply the comfort of being heard and understood. Because of the Oregon-sized distance between us, I trust that Cali’s and my relationship will last a long time because of the effort we put in to keep in contact. And that is a different type of relationship.