Going from seeing each other 5 days a week in the school year to months apart over the summer can be a drastic change.

So what happens to those friendships when everyone goes their separate ways?  

In order to keep the flame of friendship alive over the summer, here are 10 tips to stay close to your companions:

1. Initiate planned days of fun. You may find excitement and adventure in activities like biking, shopping, or going to the city. 
2. Carry meaningful conversations. Go beyond the awkward small talk of “How are you?” and “Crazy weather, huh?” A deep conversation can really help understand someone’s way of thinking and bond over similar ideas. 
3. Get the address of sleep away camps. Writing letters can be a fun and engaging way to communicate with someone who’s out of town, and a chance to take a break from your device. Plus, letters are more personal than texts you write over the phone. 
4. Prioritize. Prioritize hanging out with friends over things that can get done another time, such as binge watching the newest Netflix show or beating a video game.
5. Make a group chat. Add multiple friends into a group chat so that you can each make an equal effort to hang out
6. Allow inclusion. If you’re hanging out with a group and they are ok with more people, don’t be shy to reach out to another friend to include them.
7. Share schedules to know who’s around and when. Once summer starts everyone is going in different directions, so knowing who’s in town and when is helpful when coordinating plans. 
8. Make sure you get friends’ numbers before leaving school. Most communication is over a device, so having someone’s number can be very helpful when trying to talk, make plans, or check in with one another. 
9. Share your activities, interests, and possessions with them to include one another. Friendship is all about being with others and sharing your joy with those you care about. This is even better when you introduce your own passions.
10. Don’t point fingers if you do end up growing apart. The summer months are a vast expanse of time, so it’s hard to split up your time between family, friends, and personal wants. So if you’re not as close with someone as you used to be, don’t blame them for how the summer turned out. A summer apart doesn’t mean the friendship cannot be rekindled.