Rediscover the Value of Friend-Dates

When's the last time you went on a date with a friend? Not a date-date, but a friend-date. Whether you're in a committed relationship or not, the friend-date is a wonderful thing to keep in your life. As we enter the end of winter (at least in the northern hemisphere), many of us are stuck inside because of cold weather with no holidays to look forward to. It's easy to go stir crazy. Seasonal affective disorder is real. Enter the friend-date.

The friend-date can take place in the real world or online via Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, or any number of video chat services. Online is great because you can participate from anywhere and it doesn't have to cost anything. It can be hard to take that first step and reach out to people, especially if they are people you don't know well, but think about how you would feel if one of your friends reached out to you—excited, right? That is precisely how your friends will feel if you reach out. In an age where people are afraid of talking on the phone (myself included), sometimes it ends up that everyone is waiting for everyone else to make the first move, which means no one ever moves. We all sit at home wishing our lives were more interesting and full and convinced that we're missing out. Pretty much everyone feels the same way. Here's your chance to do something doable about it.

Of course you can do anything you want on a friend-date, including just talk, but I would love to hear some suggestions for online friend activities from you all. Many of you love games; what games work well online for a low investment of time and equipment? A few years ago a group of my friends loved playing Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes via Skype, so I can recommend that. Other ideas? Thanks all!