How I Keep Nomad Friendships Alive Across the Globe

Loneliness is one of the biggest problems among nomads. Indeed, it's part of a grand societal phenomenon. Where people are more connected digitally but feel lonely in everyday life. However, I developed an effective habit that helps me stay in touch with my friends.

Unique Nomad Serendipity

Nomading already creates a sense of wonder and awe. We travel to exotic places, work from cosy cafes, and stay in community-driven colivings. These are fantastic environments for meeting like-minded people.

I met my best friends in colivings: Malaysian Hatchery and Spanish Nine. The meals we cooked together, the hikes we conquered, and the long-night conversations established deep bonds. Still, nomads being nomads, we disperse across the globe. But our connections shouldn't fade.

I learned how to maintain my friends across the globe with 2-3 hours a week of direct communication.

Effective Habit to Stay Connected with Nomad Friends

Before I wrap up a busy week, I follow these three steps:

Ponder with whom I haven’t spoken in a while.
Call one friend for an hour or two.
Message around 10 friends directly.

Without too much complexity, my friendships stay strong. This works because:

Recollections of shared brunches, activities, and meaningful interactions are the foundation. These memories help you prioritize whom to reach out to this week.
If you can’t meet in person, then a phone call is the next best thing. The magic happens when both sides are present for a prolonged chat. We open up and have space to discuss important life events.
We all love receiving friendly messages. When every social media feed, email newsletter, and YouTube channel battle for our attention, direct messages remain a sanctuary. It's a private space between real friends. A small avenue for sharing memes, stories, and updates. Yet, it has tremendous importance for us.

That's it. Regular communication with nomad friends is a simple 3-hour habit. It makes dealing with loneliness much easier.

Conscientious is a skill that you can master

I bet you had similar amazing first interactions on the road. A wandering street artist I met in Taiwan. A lovely mixed couple who offered me accommodation in New Zealand. Or an adventurous Japanese backpacker who visited my hometown in Poland.

Every relationship needs repetition. I value these unique encounters. Therefore, I strive to stay in touch wherever I go next. As you never know when you’ll meet again.

Here are tips that help me be conscientious about nomad friends:

Save their birthdays in your phone contacts. Enable notifications in your calendar app and call them on their special day.
If the time zone difference is too big, record a dedicated video or audio message.
I prefer audio calls to video calls. The internet may be spotty, and outside noise can be distracting. Hearing my friend clearly is more important than seeing their pixelated face.
Figure out what works best for each friend. Some prefer voice messages, some are text-only, others like frequent and short calls.
Be messenger agnostic. Nomads have their preferred chat apps. I maintain accounts everywhere but use Beeper to manage all conversations in one place.
Always ask about your friend’s travel plans. You might meet up in person at the next destination.