There’s a lot of things you can do online these days, but eating with a friend is not one of them. That is, unless you coordinate with said friend, purchase matching pastry products beforehand, and sit down at exactly a pre-ordained time, ready to feast in mutual, if virtual, company.

It’s all a little complicated—such an endeavor requires manpower and time and a willingness to indulge the ridiculous just for the sake of catching up with someone far away, all of which I seem to be in more abundance of recently. So, on a Friday evening, that’s exactly what I set out to do. Armed with only my wits, a reusable grocery bag, and about ten dollars, I texted a bestie, a current student at UCLA, and asked him what he was most dearly craving.

“Waffles,” he said, after a decided bout of waffling.

And thus it was set. While my friend got a fresh batch of Belgian Fruit Waffle from the Study, a student dining hall on campus, I picked up two boxes of frozen waffles from the grocery store (Eggo’s are my personal favorite), popped them in the air fryer, and called him up when they were done. I didn’t have any syrup, but I did have Kirkland honey and an almost overripe banana,  which I drizzled and scattered, respectively, in generous portions over my now piping-hot waffle product.

If we disregard this supposed quality difference in the items of food we were enjoying, the distance between us, and the occasionally lagging video feed, it was just like sitting down for brunch, if the person you’re sitting down with is obnoxiously invested in flexing their whipped cream and strawberries. For the next half hour, we caught up on life and gossiped about mutual friends, all while enjoying our waffles. It was a strangely intimate experience, sharing a meal together even though we were miles apart. 

So, if you’re looking for a way to connect with friends or family who live far away, I highly recommend giving this a try. It’s a simple way to bring some joy into your life, and who doesn’t love waffles?