Life in college can be absolutely crazy, as we all know. Between classes, clubs and social lives, we are all running around simply trying to stay afloat. All of this can be made easier with friends, however. I have met so many incredible people so far at school who have definitely made my life much easier and more fun, but there is always someone missing: My very best friend who lives 2,366 miles away.
Izzy and I grew up together. We attended the same elementary, middle and high schools, took ballet lessons together as children and even attended prom together. We grew almost inseparable during high school. I got so used to Izzy constantly being by my side, experiencing everything with me that I couldn’t imagine a time when we wouldn’t be together. Then, college decisions came around and we chose to go to schools on opposite sides of the country. In fact, I chose to attend a school furthest east from my entire graduating class, and Izzy chose a school furthest west. I didn’t know what was going to happen when I moved to Ohio and Izzy moved to Los Angeles, but I knew keeping our friendship would take some work.
We managed to get through all of freshman year, navigating what a long-distance friendship looks like and was able to pick up living minutes away from each other over the summer again without missing a beat. Let me tell you, sometimes being so far away from someone you’re close with is tough. Adjusting to a new place where I knew nobody at the beginning of my freshman year of college felt almost impossible without Izzy by me. When I was stressed with work at school and just wanted to hang out and do nothing, I couldn’t simply tell her to come over. We couldn’t cook together (which is one of our favorite past times when we are together) and we couldn’t spend late nights watching movies. However, we did find some ways to get through the year.
Technology is something that can often be taken for granted today, but I have learned to appreciate it much more in these past couple of years. Without things such as FaceTime, Izzy and I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the latest in each of our lives. Video calls aren’t always the most convenient thing, however, but a simple phone call can also be enough to update each other. We often call while we are both walking to classes, using the short time for a quick hello. Izzy and I also make sure to plan when we will be in the same place again, taking the time to be sure that we schedule a time to do some of our favorite things. In fact, we already have a full day of cooking and coffee planned during winter break of this year! Finally, making time to see each other at our respective universities is something that we both save money for. We split the cost of travel, knowing that the money we spend is definitely worth it if it means that we will have quality time together in the same part of the country.
Moving away from my best friend when college started was terrifying, but after making it through a year apart, I know that our friendship is stronger than ever. As much as distance sucks, knowing that we are still supporting each other from across the country is something that truly keeps me going.