Lifestyle Holidays & Occasions 6 Long Distance Ways to Connect with Your Family Over the Holidays By Alexandra Whittaker Alexandra Whittaker Instagram Twitter Website Alexandra Whittaker is a news and pop culture editor based in New York City. She studied at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and at Marquette University, where she freelanced for USA Today, Women's Wear Daily, and ELLE. She currently leads both the news and entertainment teams at Cosmopolitan magazine and previously worked as the news editor of InStyle.com where she spearheaded awards coverage. She enjoys writing and editing news stories, interviewing celebrities, and covering the intricacies of the British royal family. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on December 21, 2017 @ 03:00PM Pin Share Tweet Email Photo: Copyright 2017 LUMINA IMAGES/Stocksy Nothing screams "vacation" quite like going home for the holidays, but that's a luxury that not everyone can indulge in each year. If you're finding yourself separated from your family this season, don't fret though. It does happen, and there is a way to power through while still getting some face time with your loved ones. Scroll through our six tips for how to stay connected to the people you care about when you are decidedly not home for the holidays. 01 of 06 Write Letters Barry Yee/Getty Images There's a reason Santa takes letters and not emails. Writing a letter to a loved one by hand is a great way of interjecting yourself into the process of what you write. It feels personal, it connects you, and it'll be sure to put a smile on your family's face when they open it. 02 of 06 Skype Morsa Images/Getty Images Skype and FaceTime may have their limits, but they sure are a great way to get some face-to-face conversation with those you love. 03 of 06 Open Gifts Together at the Same Time zeljkosantrac/Getty Images Just because you aren't physically in the same place as someone else doesn't mean that you can't share an experience with them. Try coordinating present time with your long distance loved one and share the magic of gifting together. 04 of 06 Think ahead when you're together Astrakan Images/Getty Images Take advantage of any time you do have together before you have to part, and if you're leaving a little one for awhile, a pre-recorded storybook is a great gift idea. 05 of 06 Share your experiences through photos Isabel Pavia/Getty Images It's no secret why Instagram is so popular—people love sharing their lives through photographs. If you're doing something for the holidays and you think, 'I wish this person were here with me,' don't just text them to let them know, but send a smiling photo too. 06 of 06 Pick up the phone Milan_Jovic/Getty Images It may be easier to email or text, but let's be honest here, sometimes a good ol' fashioned phone call really is the best way to get things done. Pick up the phone and make it happen.