Gathering with Friends
Connecting with friends might seem impossible during these days of social distancing. But it is not difficult. You can either get lucky and run into each other, or you can pre-plan times that you are available to catch a break while staying within the social distancing rules. You can text each other back and forth on where and when you would like to meet. What you do is up to you, you can have a coffee, grab a snack, even get a meal. For instance, a friend and I have started a clever way of seeing each other’s faces without breaking the rules. We meet every Friday in the cafeteria and eat lunch together. It’s a great, yet simple way to catch up on what has been happening to us over the week. We chat about our classes, any big events that have or are coming up. This way, we can keep in contact and feel like everything is still ok in the world.
Another way is becoming friends with your housemates/ roommates. That way you can really interact. You are not bound by the 6 feet apart rule or muffling with a mask — your considered family. Great bonus right? You are able to plan events, such as a movie night, a pancake feast for dinner, and more. Its great to hang in a more pre-pandemic style. In my case, I have had at least three movie nights so far with my housemates. Each time it has been great to just forget about school for a while and have fun.
However, there are other friends and family where being close is not going to happen. You live in separate states, go to different schools, etc. That’s when Zoom comes in handy. You are able to see each other’s faces, chat and hang out in a digital environment. If you feel like it, you can seek out online games to play together, get into some friendly competition, and just have a great time. For example, a friend of mine who graduated last year came up with the brilliant idea of Zoom calling while we chat and do crafts together. We have a great time just being in each other’s digital presence, even if we do not talk a lot.
So, there you have it, a few ideas on how to hang with your palls even in the middle of a pandemic. It just takes some planning ahead and coordination to get the hangout started. It may not be ideal, but it works, and better days are coming.