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CU Boulder | Life > Experiences

Distance Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Keeley Haynes Student Contributor, University of Colorado - Boulder
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Two weeks ago, I visited my best friend, who attends a Floridian college. We spent hours in the ocean together — jumping off piers, collecting seashells, and exposing ourselves to insane levels of UV radiation to get the perfect golden tan. We taste-tested every flavor of ice cream from her favorite local beachside spot. I ate her dining hall food, slept in her dorm, hung out with her friends, and showered in her communal bathrooms. For a short 36 hours, I was immersed in her life.

It was not until I returned back to the Rocky Mountains, refreshed by the ocean and my best friend’s company, that I realized how much I missed her. 

Since I stepped foot on CU Boulder’s campus, my life has been a whirlwind. Whether I’m accidentally breaking into a frat house or cramming out an essay on top of a mountain, it seems like I’m going on a new adventure every day. The nonstop nature of college is exhilarating, but there’s little opportunity to take a second and breathe. It seems like I’m changing right before my own eyes, and I don’t have much control over it. 

When she picked me up from the airport, though, I felt this chaos dissipate. All the anxieties about grades, boys, friends, and the future ceased to exist. Just her presence grounded me. Sitting in her passenger seat, I felt as if I was back in my childhood bedroom, binge-watching Spider-Man movies and sharing my world-famous snack mix with her. I was myself again. 

Observing her at her own school quieted my uneasiness, too. Not only have I changed, but so has she. Her muted wardrobe now has sprinkles of pink and blue. She has longer hair and a new sense of humor. She has a crush (!!!) for the first time since eighth grade. Yet she still has the same laugh. She still drives with her leg up. She’s still my best friend. 

Change is inevitable, but it’s connections like ours that make me realize that it is bearable. How special is it to know that no matter who I become, I have someone who knows me? Who has seen me in every phase of life? Who can be my guiding North Star in life’s tumultuous waters?

No matter the distance that lies between us, the invisible string that bonds us together lets me know I will be ok. And for that, I will always be grateful for my best friend. 

Keeley Haynes

CU Boulder '27

Keeley Haynes serves as the Outreach Director for CU Boulder's Her Campus chapter. She coordinates the club’s social events, local partnerships and profile opportunities. She also acts as a staff writer, sharing her thoughts on all things media, politics and food. This is Keeley’s third year in Her Campus.

At CU, Keeley is a junior majoring in Journalism and minoring in Writing and Public Engagement, English Literature and Business. She currently works as an editor for CMDI’s student publication, The Bold, and as a content writer for CU’s alumni magazine, The Coloradan. She aspires to become a foreign correspondent someday.

Outside of the writing room, you will find Keeley walking, reading an Anthony Bourdain book, reclining in a movie theatre seat or working at Kalita Grill, the best Greek restaurant in Boulder (albeit she may be biased). Her favorite and most expensive hobby is attending concerts. The best show she’s attended is Charli xcx and Troye Sivan’s Sweat Tour. When she is not dancing to Charli, she is crying to Phoebe Bridgers, laughing at The 1975’s lyrics or embarrassingly trying to rap along with Kendrick Lamar.