And even though I know how very far apart we are

With all this talk about relationships lately (must be Valentine's Day or something), it's reminded me of some of the most important relationships in my life. My family and closest friends, who all live miles upon miles away from me. There are lots of articles, websites, and books about maintaining long distance relationships, but they are always talking about relationships of a romantic nature.

Why not talk a little about maintaining other long distance relationships of the friends and family variety?

Mostly, I love talking to the people I live far away from, some more than others. Some people I just keep track of by reading their blogs, and since I know they are reading mine, it's almost like we're just talking to each other. There are a few people I chat with regularly (thank you GoogleTalk!), and I call my mom on my way home from work just about everyday. If her cell phone rings anytime during the 3:00 MST hour, she knows it's most likely me.

It's also fun to do things together. How do you do things together when you aren't together? Easy. You just do them at similar times and talk about them later.

In the wee hours of Thursday morning, around 4:00 AM, I woke up thirsty. Water wasn't going to cut it, for some reason, so I mixed up a pitcher of lemonade with Splenda, had a glass or two, and went back to bed. Unbeknownst to me, Sisterpants had done the exact same thing about 24 hours earlier.

In the clock and weather apps of my phone, I keep track of the time and temperature not only where I live, but also in Utah, Arizona, Washington, and Cairo, because I know have friends and family there. (The fact that I keep track of those things in London and New York is just for me.) In the weather app, the screen turns blue during the day and purple at night. Most of the time, those in the States (and usually London) are one color, whilst Cairo is the other. There are, however, a few hours in the middle of the night, when they are all purple. The weather is vastly different, but it gives me some comfort to know that most of the people I care about are likely home and safe, just like me.

Sappy? Sure. But I like to be connected, even in small ways, to those I love.

Happy Valentine's Day!!