My best friend since the age of 5 studied abroad this semester in the Netherlands. This was very difficult. The days over winter break leading up to her plane ride into a new culture were very tough. It almost felt like it was truly not happening; that there was no way she was going that far away, but she did.
She had went away to Boston for school originally, and she still came home often as did I, and we were able to see each other an average amount. It was weird to know once she left in January to a new country that I would not get to see her again until April. However, I am so happy for her that she gets to experience this great time in her life to travel and explore Europe.
Time zones make it difficult to talk, face time audio is very spotty, and sometimes she cannot text unless she is connected to wifi. Nevertheless, we have made it work, and I love that I am still up to date on everything she is doing and experiencing. Distance from a best friend just reminds you even more of how thankful you are for them. It is so reassuring to know if I needed her she would still drop everything to talk to me, as I would/have for her.
It has been a hard adjustment knowing she is far away, and I get worried about her a lot, but I am so proud of her that she did this, and I am so so excited for April to see her again. I have loved listening about Dutch drama, issues with the public transportation in London, and about the French bus drivers that can be rude. I have learned stuff from her about the cultures she has been immersed in that I have not even firsthand experienced, which is really cool. I cannot wait to be with her again, and go to the mall and get some ice cream and laugh about nothing, but until then I will happily continue with the our texting, face timing and snap chatting. Kutztown University and the Netherlands aren’t that far away.