You don't have to live in the same town or — or even the same country — as your best friend to maintain a strong friendship. Even so, it can be challenging to live far away from your favorite people.

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The ...