A friend is someone you hang out with and do stuff with on a frequent basis and is a part of your life in the present, or was in the past for a long time. If you are meeting someone only when time and travel permits they are called acquaintances.
Sorry but you're wrong. I have many friends, some for decades, who don't happen to live in the same city as me, whom I see only when time and travel permit. They are part of my life just as a few of the people I met on here are (some of whom I've known for almost ten years). People move and live in different places, you know. Are you seriously suggesting that if someone doesn't live in the same area as me, and therefore we can't see each other except once in a while, that we're not friends? Did I suddenly lose all my friends in the city I used to live in because we don't get to see each other regularly and "hang out" any more? Honestly, think about what you're saying.
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