Keeping friendships strong requires mutual effort. We all lead busy lives, and it’s easy for time to simply run away and, before you know it, it’s been ages since you’ve checked in with one another.
That doesn’t have to be the case, though! This International Friendship Day, we’re encouraging everyone to spend time with their mates and loved ones, be it in person or online. After all, we’ve spent so much time away from our nearest and dearest over the course of the past year, catch-ups are long overdue.
So, what can you do to connect with your friends? Easy, we’ll show you:
Book a holiday abroad together
Did you have plans to get away with the group last summer that got derailed by the pandemic? Now’s the perfect time to cash in on that rain check.
With so many destinations on the UK’s green list, you’re free to soak up some sunshine, top up your tan and share amazing moments without any post-trip quarantining.
Remember, when you travel to any of our 50 Inclusive Roaming destinations, you can use all your allowances at no extra cost. That’s all your data, minutes and texts. So, you can even catch up with the mates that didn’t make the trip while you’re chilling at the beach.
Go on a road trip
We’ve all spent a lot of time at home recently. Why not head out on the open road with friends and head out to somewhere you’ve never been? Gather the squad, load up the car and go on an adventure. Whether it’s to the seaside, into the city or out to the countryside, it’s the perfect opportunity to make the most of that catch-up time.
Not sure how to get where you’re going? Let your phone show you the way. Using your phone as a satnav really doesn’t use as much data as you might think! In fact, Google Maps only uses an average of just over 2MB an hour, while Waze comes in at less than 1MB an hour.
You’d have to go on a seriously long road trip to run out of data, so don’t be afraid to take a little detour and go on the scenic route.
Head to a music festival
Gigs and festivals are coming back! With many events being given the green light at relatively short notice, tickets for festivals are being released close to the event date. That means you’ll need to be quick.
Get on the group chat and get a plan going with your mates. There’s nothing better than watching your favourite artists, surrounded by your favourite people. Just make sure your phone’s charged in case you get split up in the crowd!
Can’t meet up? Catch up over the phone
Okay, it’s not the most original suggestion, but giving each other a ring is one of the little things that keeps good friendships going. That out-of-the-blue phone call may seem like not very much, but it has the potential to brighten their day (and yours). It means you’ve got the chance to make more spontaneous face-to-face plans. And don’t forget, with iD, you’ve got 4G and Wi-Fi calling included too. So, you can get in touch wherever you are.
Get a little competition going
In the absence of face-to-face meetups during lockdown, online gaming became one of the main ways to hang out with one another, and for good reason. Be it a team game like Call of Duty, FIFA match between old rivals or Mario Kart Tour grand prix, video games are a great way to both team up and work together or settle old scores.
Why not invite them to a little match? When you’ve got the data, you can dive into a game from almost anywhere!
We hope our suggestions have left you feeling inspired, and ready to make plans with your group. How are you going to celebrate International Friendship Day? Let us know!