Faraway Friends

Dear Reader,

I am now in Glasgow, Scotland on vacation. There is so much to do and see! This city is so full of culture, history, and life, I am totally unsure where to start. I also have two friends who live in the area. These two lovely ladies are friends from college whom I haven’t seen (or spoken to, or even texted) in almost 3 years. Who do you consider to be your friends, Dear Reader? I sometimes struggle to answer this question. Is there a statute of limitations to reclaiming a friendship after time and distance pass you? Is a good friend still as good friend after one year of little to no communication? How about two? Ten?? 

One evening while I was in Reykjavik a week before my arrival in Scotland, I hesitantly cast my first text on Facebook messenger to my old friends. I sent the text late at night right before I went to bed to give my friends both time to process the request to meet up and also plausible deniability should they not respond to my text. I then turned the wifi off of my phone and quickly went to sleep. The next morning I rolled over to see that I had a few unread Facebook messages. They had responded and were all too happy to meet up! What a sigh of relief that was! I had wrestled with the question of “to text or not to text” and I am glad that I had opted for “to text.” Dear Reader, do not doubt yourself before you try something. Doing so will only make you stew in the “what ifs.” No one needs hypothetical regrets in life.

So I met up with my two friends in George’s Square in Glasgow and from there we walked to Stereo, which is a vegan bar/ restaurant. They have a lot of interesting offerings including vegan “cheese” and “jackfish and chips.” The conversation and company were also pretty great. So many things have changed: we have all moved away from our college town, relationship statuses have shifted, and we’re all working instead of studying. But, also, so many things have stayed the same. My one friend remarked that checking in with friends a few times a year or even every other year is sometimes all you need to stay close with someone. It’s not about the quantity of time, Dear Reader, but the quality. I have learned so much about my old friends in one evening. This time spent with them cannot be compared to the everyday superficial conversation with acquaintances.

Friends are friends wherever they go. I do not know when or where I will ever see these ladies again, but I am glad to know that they will still be friends when we meet again.

Love, 

Raven