You and your girlfriends probably have your fair share of crazy stories. Those nutty times are what create your friendship history. They’re what you laugh about over glasses of wine. They’re what remind you that you haven’t always been a mature adult. They serve as a gentle nudge you that you’re human and interesting. One of those stories for me happened during one of our first girl trips in Las Vegas. My friends and I were in a hot air balloon crash. I could try to relive the experience for you, but instead I’ll direct you to Travelated.com, which recently ran a story on our high flying experience. I thought writer Rachael did a great job– she had me laughing about the unforgettable (and somewhat unbelievable!) experience all over again.

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Welcome to 2012! Plenty of people resolve to drop ten pounds, drink more water or take up a new skill. Those are great goals for your personal health and well being, but so is resolving to stay in touch with long distance friends. Did one of your pals move away in 2011? Perhaps a job took them to another state or maybe they decided to study painting in Paris. Don’t let the distance destroy your friendship. Resolve to be a better friend in 2012.

One way to do that is by starting a traveling journal. We promise if you start this tradition in 2012 when you’re toasting the arrival of 2017 or 2022 you’ll be so glad you did! You’ll be creating a handwritten memoir of your friendship– something you will forever cherish.

Experts say that the key to achieving those New Year’s resolutions is to put simple steps behind them. Rather than vaguely promising to be a better friend create an action step of starting a traveling journal. Grab a Fernanda or a Jessica Journal, pick out some fabulous accessories, and by the end of the year you’ll be looking back at all you’ve accomplished. You’ll have a journal that’s well on its way to becoming a treasured heirloom and you’ll have a dear friendship. And few things in life are worth more than that.

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We are once again participating in Free Shipping Day! This year it is held on Friday, December 16. Shipping is free with every order over $25, no coupon code required. Please keep in mind that we can’t gaurantee delivery by Christmas on our Jessica or Edwina journal lines. However, all other products are ready to ship. Please let us know if you have any questions and Merry Christmas!

I just had to share this with you. If you’re looking for a cool way to connect with your long distance love you’ll definitely want to check this out. Pillow Talk is is currently in development, but the idea is that each person would wear a ring sensor to bed at night. The ring then wirelessly communicates with their partner’s pillow, no matter where they are. When one person goes to sleep, their partner’s pillow begins to glow softly. When you put your head on the pillow you’ll actually be able to hear your long distance love’s heartbeat. Isn’t that cool? Would you buy one?

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The older you get the more you realize friendship takes work. It’s not like when you were a child and cultivating friendships was one of your only real “jobs.” Think about it– you spent most of your time planning slumber parties, attending celebratory functions and navigating the social scene on the playground. But somehow with adulthood comes responsibilities that threaten those friendships: jobs, families, distsance. And often it’s a lesson you don’t learn until you’ve actually lost one friend– or even ten.

I was so happy that Her Campus Magazine chose to feature The Traveling Journal in their article Creative Ways To Keep Your Long-Distance Friendships Alive. I wasn’t simply happy for selfish reasons, although I do think The Traveling Journal is a pretty awesome website and concept. But I was happy because I hope that it helps save some friends from growing apart. I hope young women read the article and it hits home that they’ve got something special in a friendship, something worth working for.

I feel blessed that the five of us still talk, email and share our Traveling Journal. But our friendship doesn’t still exist because someone sat me down and told me as a young woman just out of college that it will be far more difficult to keep these friendships than lose them. I think that’s a conversation more women need to be having. Physical distance between friends is one thing, but once that spiritual and emotional distance sets in, it can feel almost impossible to get back that closeness you once had.

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While the Traveling Journal keeps us connected year around, there’s nothing that can replace the excitement and thrill of getting together.  After our last minute trip to the Big Apple in July, we had something else to look forward to in October: The Dominican Republic.

On October 9^th, Morgenne, Dawn, Tonya and I met in at Dreams Punta Cana in the Dominican.  Alison couldn’t make it.  First off, people there couldn’t believe that we were 32 years old!  I just wanted to throw that in there because it made me feel really good.  We all dieted and exercised a lot to get ready for our swimwear.  Dawn’s husband, Dave was kind enough to treat us all to facials while we were there!

If you can manage to do a girl trip, take full advantage.  We took about 500 pictures between the four of us and we have so many new beautiful memories and pictures from our time in the Dominican.  From the new friends we made from the UK and Boston to the evening we played Truth or Dare.  There’s nothing like girlfriends that can make you feel young and free again.  I can’t wait to add my new pictures into our Traveling Journal.  

If you’re thinking of taking a girl trip and need advice or help, feel free to email any of us.  friends@thetravelingjournal.com For 12 years it’s been a tradition for the five of us to meet somewhere at least once a year.  This year, we were lucky enough to see each other twice. 

So while the Traveling Journal will keep you close during your ‘off’ time, there’s nothing that will ever replace human contact.

I’m not a big phone person. I don’t really like talking on the phone. But when you have long distance friends it’s just something you’ve got to do. Although lately I have to admit I’ve had trouble getting my girlfriends on the phone. I’ve called and (most of the time) they call me back. And of course as phone tag continues, the return call usually comes at a time when I can’t answer. Then I try again when I’m free to call them back only to get their voice mail. Yes, it’s frustrating. But there are a few communication backups in place.

Facebook: It’s nothing new but if I can’t get my friends on the phone I’ll usually see what they’re up to on Facebook. Some are good about posting daily updates and even if it’s something silly about Melissa’s eating habits or Tonya’s dog at least I’m learning something about their lives.

Email: Even if we can’t seem to get our schedules to collide on the phone, emailing is super easy. We can write group emails filling each other in on life and what’s going on. Recently we’ve shared some funny stories through email and seeing them pop up in my inbox definitely helps me to feel connected to my long distance friends.

The Traveling Journal: Even though I don’t see the Traveling Journal every week or even every month, knowing that it exists help create a foundation of friendship. Even though we don’t talk on the phone regularly and our game of phone tag seems never ending, at least we share something unique in the pages of our Traveling Journal.

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More than a decade ago the Kappa Delta Sorority created National Women’s Friendship Day. It became so popular that two years ago the day-long celebration was stretched to fill an entire 30 days and Women’s Friendship Month was born. Moms, dads, and grandparents all only get one day a year, but friends get an entire month so that must mean they are important. If you’re wondering how to celebrate this September we’ve got a great idea– why not launch a Traveling Journal? You can share it with those special friends who may not live on the same street or even across town. Let them know that you cherish their friendship, despite the distance.

For the month of September use code FRIENDSHIPMONTH to get The Traveling Journal Starter Kit for just $19.99. That’s a 20% discount and a great deal on everything you need to launch your journal journey. The Traveling Journal Starter Kit comes with a Fernanda Journal, four-pack of pens, a Buddy Bookmark and Preview Postcard four-pack. Happy Women’s Friendship Month!

We love showing that long distance friendship works. That’s why we’re excited to introduce you to Jen and her best friend Ewuraekua. They’ve been BFFs for 15 years, but Jen is boarding a flight for Rwanda on September 13 to begin her service as a Peace Corps Education Volunteer. She’ll be gone 27 months– but they’ve developed a keep-in-touch plan that includes sharing a Traveling Journal.

TTJ: How does it feel knowing you’ll be away from your best friend for so long?

Jen: The prospect of going on this journey without my best friend scares me a bit and the idea of saying goodbye to someone who has been such a positive force in my life is heartbreaking.

TTJ: How did you and Ewuraekua meet?

Jen: Ewuraekua and I met in 7th grade, we were in a few classes together and had a few other mutual friends. I was kind of a nerdy kid and I kind of clung to her, she was really extremely welcoming. Coming into high school we became extremely close and continued that friendship when she lived in Ghana with her family for sophomore year, it was extremely difficult not having her here to share that part of high school – learning to drive, boys, new friends, school etc. We have always been close – she and I – and we have grown into our own people now and we’ve come to appreciate how special our friendship is.

TTJ: How have you managed to stay close for so long?

Jen: We can both get busy with life, relationships, graduating college etc – but we always seem to be able to come back to each other and it is as if nothing has changed. She has truly been one of the greatest friends a girl could ask for and the greatest gift I can give her in return is my friendship. She’s currently working with autistic children in Philadelphia while setting herself up to go back to graduate school for Psychology while I graduated with my teaching credentials and plan to come back and explore my options here as well as abroad. She will be the last person I say goodbye to before leaving for Rwanda, and neither of us would have it any other way.

TTJ: How do you plan to stay in touch while you’re away for so long?

Jen: A few weeks ago, we were discussing things we could do to keep in touch, facebook, iChat, emails – all of these seemed a bit impersonal. She came across your website and we instantly fell in love with this idea! We plan to use your concept in our own way – sort of – we have devised rules and a plan of how this would work but the bottom line is that for the entire 27 months of my service in Rwanda, I’ll be more connected to my best friend than I had ever imagined.

TTJ: How do you think having the Traveling Journal will keep you connected?

Jen: I know this way missing the events, the moments, the shopping trips and funny commentary – won’t be nearly as bad. I wanted simply to email and thank you for creating this project. I love the idea, I cannot wait now to start our first (of what I’m sure will be many) journal.

As a writer I love telling stories. I look forward to interviewing interesting people and sharing their stories with others. I don’t always like writing about myself though, unless it has to do with a topic I’m passionate about. And one of those topics I love writing about is The Traveling Journal. One of the positions I hold is features editor for a South Carolina women’s magazine called Belle. Every month I coordinate articles and write a few as well. For our August issue I was excited to have the opportunity to share the story of The Traveling Journal with our readers.

In “The Traveling Journal takes Manhattan” I give readers an inside look at how we ended up on the Today Show, what the experience was like and how Steve Carrell gave us encouragement. I wrote about the incredible day when I got the exciting job of calling each of my friends to tell them that The Today Show wanted to fly us to NYC– a day I will never forget! I even shared about the sixth link in our circle of friends, Jessica. I wrote about her black curly hair, wrinkly hands and the gift she gave us– the gift of learning just how precious friendships are. Since you can’t get your own copy of Belle unless you’re lucky enough to live in the Upstate, here’s a sample, my last paragraph:

And just before our four minute segment was over we handed Hoda and Kathie Lee gift bags with their own traveling journals tucked inside, which got a great endorsement from Hoda. We all agree that it really couldn’t have gone better. And wh en we started this long distance friendship tradition ten years ago, we never imagined the journey it would take us on.

And that’s the honest truth. But we’re excited to see where all of this is headed.