9 Ways You Know You Have A Best Friend (Even If They Are 500 Miles Away)

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I’ve been reading Thought Catalog for a long time now and nothing makes me happier than an article on best friends, since I love my best friend oh-so much. But, I am never really satisfied with these articles, mostly because a lot of the points deal with physically being with them: You do everything together. Their wardrobe is an extension of yours. And so on. The reason these bother me is my best friend lives 500 miles away from me and has for five years—half of our friendship. Once upon a time our friendship was sharing clothes and doing everything together, but since she’s moved away our friendship is so much more special. So here are nine signs that you have a best friend that may or may not live in your city.

1. You don’t have to talk everyday. Schedules get crazy. You have other obligations in your life and other friends to hang out with. Sure, I love my best friend, but neither one of us is going to sacrifice living our life IRL to be together in cyber world. You text when you get a moment and sometimes conversations are played out over a course of days rather than minutes.

2. They will tell you the truth with no sugar coating it. Hooking up with that lame guy? They will be the first to tell you its a horrible idea. Hair cut isn’t the most flattering? Yeah, the moment you send them that picture. They’ll let you have it.

3. They put up with you sending them things they don’t really care about. Such as pictures of your cousin’s new baby that you just stole off Facebook because they are adorable, but no one else will flatter you with responses like “So adorable!”

4. They love you even if you aren’t who they first became friends with. As you get older, you inevitably change. You get new interests, you learn to like different music. You’re more outgoing or you’re more introverted and don’t respond the same way in group environments. They still love you and love being with you.

5. You can tell them anything. From your sex life to how frustrated you are with your parents, to how depressed you are over such and such.

6. They get excited over things that excite you. That three-month language program in the Middle East? Not their cup of tea, but they are SO excited you get to do it, as long as it’s what you want.

7. They listen to you complain. Complain about ex-boyfriends, boyfriend’s mothers, siblings, getting old, school. They will be there to agree with you on how horrible it is.

8. They care about your family/loved ones. You love them, so they love them (or at least tolerate them) too! Which means they occasionally ask how the family/boyfriend is.

9. They will always be there for you. When your boyfriend decides he needs to move away for work. When your parent suddenly passes away. When anything has the potential to ruin your life. They are there to talk you through it, or at least sit on the phone with you while you cry.