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.