Ideating
Taking what I learned from the interviews, I'm realizing much of what I'm missing comes from not staying in touch with old friends. I'm working on making new ones, but I also feel jealous that my other friends are so great at staying in touch with their peers that live far away.
I narrowed down my question to: How Might I Get Better at Staying in Touch with Old Friends?
It is important to identify each scenario's Feasibility and Impact.
I thought of three prototypes to implement this:
Scenario 1: Write emails and letters to people live far away. I would do this because I think it would easier to find time to write a quick email rather than calling. I'm also very to-the-book oriented and treating it like homework might be a better way for me to get into the habit.
Feasibility: Quite achievable, just would need stamps, contact info, and envelopes. 3/5
Impact: Thoughtful ways to stay in touch with friends. Eliminates the need (and my dislike) or texting, as well as the hassle of calling. 5/5
Scenario 2: Facetime friends when I have free time. I would treat it like a reward for doing my homework or after having a long day. I already do this by calling my parents once a week but it would be more for finding new friends and getting to know people better.
Feasibility: Requires good management of my time and schedule, only cost is really time 4/5
Impact: Achieves great face-to-face interaction, but can delay work 2.5/5
Scenario 3: Plan trips to spend time and visit friends. Many of my friends are also military children so they live in so many different parts of the world. This would accomplish my dreams of travel, and an excuse to go visit friends far away.
Feasibility: Given that I have no money and have a full plate of classes, plane tickets and time would really add up. 1/5
Impact: Great way to travel and keep in touch. Making new memories would be very fun. 5/5
