<p>I spent this afternoon w/ 3 friends I grew up with. None of us live in the same town. There is actually about a 5 hour drive between the one who lives the most north and the one who lives the most south. </p>
<p>A larger group of us from a much wider geographic area have been getting together for the last 19-20 years–usually every other year. We’ve brought our husbands and children.</p>
<p>Lately it has been just 4 of us. We meet 2 times a year for lunch in a middle ground (1 or 2 hours drive for each of us), a few drinks, lots of laughs and catching up. </p>
<p>It is so enjoyable! We have known each other since before kindergarten and we are now in our mid 50’s.</p>
<p>Do any of you have similar interactions? And if so, what other things do you do? My friends and I have been talking about doing other things–going rafting, horse back riding, spending a weekend including ladies from the wider group, etc. Suggestions?</p>
<p>Wife and I have 4 to 5 couples that we met in college, and as a group we’ve stayed in touch over the last 30 years. We have collectively gone for years at a time without seeing some or all due to job/career issues, kids activities and involvements, family health issues and there has never been more than a three hour driving distance between the closest and the farthest.</p>
<p>It’s a disparate group of careers, political leanings, and income levels, but we are all so comfortable and accepting of one another that neither time, distance or length between seeing each other that every time the group is together the feelings are as if time never passes.</p>
<p>It is more than family, but less than blood. It is truly a band of brothers and sisters, unrelated, but deeply attached and far closer than many family units, my own included. </p>
<p>We consider ourselves forever grateful to have experienced this bond.</p>
<p>A few years ago I got back in touch with a friend I knew practically from birth; had been in touch somewhat, Christmas cards etc, but I was working temporarily where she lived and was able to spend enough time with her that we feel totally reconnected. It is wonderful to be with some one who has known you forever!</p>
<p>I attended my 30th high school reunion last year - our high school is located outside the country, so it has never been easy to meet up with former classmates.</p>
<p>The reunion, however, was only a few hours drive from my home here in the States so I figured I had no excuse if I ever wanted to see some of these people again.</p>
<p>I had a really fun time. I reconnected with a friend who wanted to attend another reunion, so we had a five day road trip this summer which was also very fun.</p>
<p>It is interesting how one can feel so comfortable with people you knew back when but haven’t seen in decades.</p>
<p>Despite the bash that Christmas letters generally receive, I think they have helped maintain contacts during some of those life-gets-in-the-way years. It makes it easier to pick up where we left off, because we have some idea of what the other’s life has been like.</p>
<p>In 2005 my dad died. I went home for the funeral. My HS best friend (who married my ex-bf) drove several hours to come down. We met for lunch and it felt like we were teenagers again. My college roommate also came! She was with me for the birth of my second child, when H was out of town. Although I don’t see her all that often, she is still someone I consider a close friend. My best friend from childhood also came, and she took me out to the cabin she and her H were building on old family property, and I enjoyed seeing the property I had played on as a child, but hadn’t been back since.</p>
<p>I wish I had these kinds of friends closer to me - I’m not the Otter-type who has lots of people around all the time, and I miss having best friends. But it is satisfying to these lasting bonds that continue despite years or distance.</p>
<p>I stay in touch with seven of the women that were in my dorm my freshman year of college. We live in different parts of the country now and reunions are difficult but we try to do it every five years or so. We have met in each other’s homes, in random cities that everyone can get to, and once in the town where we went to school. </p>
<p>Mostly we laugh. There may be some eating, swimming, shopping, sightseeing, but I always come away with sore facial muscles from all the laughter. Someone always brings old pictures and once we had a trivia contest (who had the ugliest towels and what colors were they?). We’ve had families included when children were younger but we’ve decided it’s more fun if we are by ourselves. It’s such a great time to catch up and realize the closeness is still there. We’ve had some amazing conversations that would never have happened when we were 18.</p>