To my friends from home,
Hi. Long time, no see–well, it’s only been a month or two since we all were home together since our last break, but who’s counting?
Me. I am counting. I miss you. But, nothing makes me happier than getting texts and pictures of you thriving at college. Every time you send me your little wins – whether it’s through your grades, fitness, or jobs – I’m always ecstatic but never surprised. There was never a doubt in my mind that you were capable of doing anything you wanted to do.
Before we went to college, countless people warned us that we would lose contact with our high school friends and basically never speak again. While to some extent that’s true, luckily my best friends have been cool enough to stay. We’ve made it about halfway through college now (side note, when did that happen?) and I’m so happy I still talk to you every day and know what you’re up to.
What’s more, thank you for your friends at your college. Even if I was secretly a little nervous about splitting your time with all the amazing new friends you would meet away from me, you sure know how to pick them. I’m glad you have other great people to look out for you and support you when I can’t be there to shove chocolate at you when you cry. Now our group just gets the extra support of the kind, funny and great people who are now your roommates. I hope you like mine too, and bring them home with you next break!
Now, I’m not stupid. I know two years out of high school really isn’t that long, and things are subject to change. Our high school gets torn down, people plan big cross-country moves, and the possibilities for where we’ll end up after graduation are endless. Things aren’t going to stay the same and stay so easy to stay in contact, forever.
But I also know us. You are my people and I know we’ll always be there for each other. We might grow old, have kids, have highly demanding careers, and maybe there will be a point where we only get to see each other once a year, if that. But even now, we work to stay in contact and we plan what little trips we can afford. And I’m only just a phone call or car ride away, even though all of our cars are busted all the time.
So go do your thing at school and beyond. Go have fun and thrive, and do really awesome things, and then come home and tell me all about it. Home isn’t home without you. I’ll see you when the semester ends, and we’re all cry laughing in one of our basements again.