It’s tough, moving away from your friends. It happens to the best of us, as life takes us in different directions and forces us down distant paths, but it’s never easy to say goodbye to a close companion.
Thankfully, in the blessed age of the internet in which we reside, distance doesn’t always spell the end of a friendship. We can maintain our bonds even from thousands of miles away via virtual meetings, persistent check-ins, and the occasional gift to remind the people in our lives we still care. They range from the hokey to the weird to the brilliantly heartfelt, but each and every long distance friend gift is perfect for someone out there.
15. Can’t go wrong with a candle
Any candle is a good candle, but the very best candles come along with a witty phrase or humorous saying to help make hard days a little better. This witty wicked offering is a perfect reminder that you’ll be friends forever — or else.
14. We DIY everything — why not an autobiography?
This do-it-yourself autobiographical journal is the perfect way to dig a little deeper into the intricacies of your bestie, and it can be done from a distance. You can work on filling it out collaboratively or separately, but no matter what you’ll know a lot more about your friend by the time you finish.
13. Buy a mug for the mug you miss
There are no shortage of best friend mugs out there, but who needs a heartfelt sentiment when you can be sassy instead? These mugs combine a bit of both with the funny (and accurate) sentiment paired with the sweet reminder that, no matter the distance, friendship endures.
12. Keep them close to your heart
It’s a bit cheesy, but sweet and cheesy often go hand in hand. This charming necklace is a perfect reminder that distance isn’t nearly enough to truly separate the best of friends, and that no matter how many miles are between you, your bestie is never more than a few inches from your heart.
11. Everyone needs a good candle
Yeah, yeah. I know. There’s already a candle on this list, but there are no shortage of options online, and for those days you’re feeling both lonely and a bit snarky, this charming but biting sentiment can’t go wrong.
10. A message a day keeps the glum away
This one requires a bit of work on your end, which isn’t overly ideal, but the ultimate payoff will be well worth it. Little capsules are fun enough, but when each one contains a sweet message or charming sentiment to brighten your bestie’s day, you know its a home run.
9. A light for the light of your life
We all love a good candle, but sometimes more consistent lighting is required. But why settle for a regular lamp when you can instead invest in these friendship lamps that allow you to deliver a reminder about how much you miss your bestie with nothing but a quick touch.
8. We all need a little reminder from time to time
Life is hard. Its an unfortunate fact of adulthood, and the world is all the darker without friends by your side to lighten the load. A reminder of just how important your friend is to the people that love them will provide a smile even on dark days.
7. All the better to chat with you, my dear
One of the most vital elements of a long distance relationship, whether romantic or platonic, is communication. You’ll spend hours chatting up your faraway friends, so why not invest in a phone holder to keep everything hands-free and easy?
6. Everyone loves snacks
Your friend is a long way from you, which means they’ll inevitably miss those long-ago hangouts when you were just down the road. You can’t fix the distance, but you can give them a taste — literally — of the good times you used to have with this sweet snack pack that’s sure to satisfy any craving.
5. A long distance cocktail is better than no cocktail at all
Your friend has to be past a certain age to enjoy this particular gift, but for the mature friend groups out there, nights out won’t be the same without every member in attendance. Thankfully, with this handy cocktail smoker, you can send your friend the means to enjoy a cocktail from afar.
4. Just in case you forget how much I miss you
Those popular friendship lands are great and all, but for the non-homebodies among us, they can only be used occasionally. These bracelets, which provide a similar service, are much more mobile, and like the lamps, they’re the perfect way to remind your long distance bestie that you care.
3. Freshen up their lives
Everyone needs a good air freshener, but only your bestie is in need of one with your face plastered on it. These customizable air fresheners allow you to gift your bestie with a handy and hilarious way to keep you around at all times.
2. Guess Who misses you?
Just because your miles away doesn’t mean you can’t play games. Guess Who is an excellent option, since it can be easily played over FaceTime, and it has the added perk of customizability. For an extra dose of fun you can replace the faces and names of the included lineup of characters and add friends from your own lives, favorite characters from popular releases, or other funny references only you and your friend will understand.
1. One necklace to rule them all
Yes, I’m mixing fandoms here but I’m uniquely qualified in both categories so don’t come for me. Besides, you should be thanking me for providing you with a link to these, the greatest BFF necklaces to ever exist. And in the year of our lord Wade Jezebel Wilson, the same year in which Deadpool & Wolverine releases, no less? Buy it and buy it now, because you’ll never find anything better.