We spent the last few weeks of high school counting down the days and we watched each other as we went through each step of the crazy college process. We celebrated each acceptance letter and spent hours on Pinterest searching for the best dorm decor. Despite the excitement we distracted ourselves with, the days continued to pass and our countdowns quickly went from months to weeks to only days. We knew it was inevitably going to happen, but coming to terms with the fact that we would all be going our separate ways was something that we didn’t like to think about.
College is all about starting over and meeting new people, but I can’t help missing my best friends from home. I constantly find myself wanting to reference our inside jokes or just wondering how different it would be if they were here. Despite the many adjustments that come with going away for college, no longer living within just a few minutes of each other was definitely one of the biggest. Our weekend sleepovers turned into Skype calls and the conversations during lunch turned into random text messages.
The truth is that things are never going to be exactly the way they were, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. We still have so many adventures to go on and stories to tell. As my freshman year slowly comes to a close, I’m grateful to be able to say that our friendship is one thing that has stayed strong and consistent in a year full of change, despite the miles in between. I’ve learned that it’s okay to meet new people because no matter what my friends from home will never be replaced. Here’s to a summer full of beach trips, sleepovers, dinner dates, and more ice cream than we probably need — but most importantly, picking up right where we left off.