Whether it's by mere chance that you run into each other on the streets or a well-planned hangout that brings you together after years, reuniting with an old friend can be heart-warming as much as it can turn into a total disaster. Let's look at some of the various aspects of doing so.

What to expect
You need to brace yourself for any changes in your friend's character if you two haven't talked in years. This is mainly applicable if you were friends during school, and are meeting up years later when you are both adults. It is understandable if your twenty-one year old friend does not like the things they liked when they were thirteen. In fact, your choices must have changed as well and your friend might be having a tough time coping with that too.

Your friend's response in seeing you after all this time might not be the same as yours. You could be overly delighted, whereas to the other person, it might be like meeting a mere acquaintance. This leads to heartbreak and misunderstandings so be prepared for that.

Also, just because you were the only friend your friend had when you went to school together, doesn't mean the scenario hasn't changed in the meantime. While it is fair to want to spend as much time as you can together, it is equally important to give your friend enough space for his or her new friends as well.

What to do
Paying a visit to a place that is brimful with memories of your friendship potentially ensures a good time. If you were school friends, you could visit your school and your teachers. If you were neighbours, go back to the neighbourhood and see what has become of it. If you had a special place you would always visit together, that should be at the top of your list. Or you could just choose a cosy restaurant where you could sit and talk for hours.

You could also arrange a sleepover at one of your houses and watch movies or listen to music albums that were released when you used to be friends or just catch-up with each other's lives and share the stories that you had bottled up all this time.

What not to do
Firstly, recall what it was that led to this gap in communication or this break in your friendship in the first place. If it was something like one of you moving to a different town, or shifting schools, then you're probably off to a nostalgic and emotional start. However, if it was a feud, then it is probably better to avoid talking about the things that led to the feud or not bring that topic up at all.

In my experience, hangouts involving childhood friends and new friends lead to a lot of awkward silences punctuated with boring small talk, unless your friends are super-friendly; then you'll have the best of both worlds.

Now, it's all fun bringing up embarrassing and hilarious memories that you shared when you were much younger but there's a fine line you wouldn't want to cross. Leave out things that could embarrass your friend in conversations with his or her new friends. You wouldn't want someone to embarrass you to an extent that you cannot go out in public anymore, would you? I don't think so.

Shreyosi Endow is a tea addict who likes to read poetry and is obsessed with plants. Send her a mail at endow1211s@gmail.com