How to say goodbye to friends when moving

When preparing for a cross country move, you need to deal with a number of difficult and stressful tasks. The hardest one of them, however, is neither the tedious packing process nor the nerve-racking paperwork – not even the challenging search for good movers. The hardest part of a long distance move is saying goodbye to your old life – and, in particular, to your old friends.

You will stay in touch with your pals, of course – regardless of the physical distance between you, they will be just one phone call or video chat away. And yet, things will never be the same. For better or worse, you’re opening a new chapter of your life and your old friends are left behind.

So, you have no choice but to say goodbye. What you can do, though, is find the time and the courage to say a proper goodbye – express your appreciation of your friends, show them that you care for them, and promise them that your move is not the end of your relationship.

Here is how to say goodbye to friends when moving in a truly meaningful way.

Inform your friends of your move as soon as possible

Telling your friends that you’re moving may not be easy, but putting it off won’t make things any easier.

In fact, the longer you keep your move a secret, the worse your friends will feel when they finally learn about it – they may think that you don’t trust them or that they’re not important enough for you to share your big news with them, or they may even get angry with you for keeping them in the dark. What’s more, your pals will have less time to get used to the idea that you’ll soon be gone – and you will have less time to say your goodbyes.

Bonus tip: Be sure to inform your close friends of your move in person, before you announce your plans on the social media. Your pals will be hurt to learn that their best friend is moving from a social network post or a mass e-mail message.

Must-read: How to tell your friends that you’re moving

Spend quality time with your friends

With your move approaching, you should try to make the most of the time you still have – to spend as much time as you can with your friends and enjoy every moment of it.

You will be busy with moving preparations, of course, but you can still go out for coffee with your pals every other day (so you can have long heartfelt conversations), your friends can come over to help you pack (so you can have some fun together while preparing your items for shipment), etc.

What matters the most, however, is to find the time to do the things you always enjoyed doing with your pals – playing sports, going to the movies, fishing, etc. Be sure to enjoy your favorite activities with your dear friends one last time before the move – take photos to immortalize the experience and promise you will meet whenever possible to do the same again.

Organize a moving away party

Throwing a farewell party is one of the best ways to say goodbye to your friends when moving house.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – just invite your pals over and have some fun together one more time before the move. Prepare your masterpiece homemade food, provide a variety of snacks and drinks, play the music that all your friends love, and make merry – sing, dance, share memories, tell jokes, play games, etc. Just have a good laugh and make some happy memories.

You can organize the event a couple of weeks before moving day, when all your household items will still be in their places and you will have all the comfort you’re used to. Or you may throw an empty-house party, after the moving truck has taken your belongings away – the free space will allow you to “go wild” and you will be able to show your gratitude to the friends who came to help you move.

See also: How to throw a moving away party

Give your friends special gifts

What better way to say goodbye to a friend than to give them a goodbye gift – something to remember you by, something to make them smile, something to show them how much you care.

Your special gift can be an object imbued with special meaning, an enjoyable experience, or a thoughtful gesture:

• A photo album with pictures that will remind your friend of happy times and special moments;  
• A souvenir from a special place or a special event;
• A piece of jewelry, a piece of art, a book, or any other item associated with an experience you shared;
• A personalized item – engraved watch or jewelry, custom printed T-shirt, scarf, or blanket, etc.;
• A travel gift card (so they can come visit you in your new home) or a coupon for a special experience (something you both used to enjoy together or something you know your friend always wanted to try);
• A goodbye letter.

Depending on your skills and available free time, you can also write a poem or compose a song for your friends, draw a caricature portrait of you and your friends, etc.

It doesn’t matter exactly what the gift is – as long as it conveys the message you want it to convey and expresses your affection for your friend.

Send cards and letters to your friends after the move

There is no doubt that you will take advantage of modern technology to stay in touch with your friends after the move. Despite the convenience of e-mails, chat programs, and other high-tech communication methods, however, nothing beats a beautiful card from your new city or an old-fashioned letter written by hand.

These tangible reminders of your friendship will have a big emotional impact and will bring a lot of warmth and joy to your pals.

See also: How to stay in touch with friends after moving

Saying goodbye when you move does not confine to the several words you pronounce when parting with your friends – it is a process that helps relieve some of the pain of your separation and encourages you in your new adventures. Just remember – it may be sad to say goodbye, but you should be grateful that you have friends who are hard to say goodbye to.