Dear Friend,
An entire ocean separates us. Sometimes that gap – both physical and emotional – feels bigger when we don’t talk. Other days, it’s like we’re back home again, hanging out on your couch, eating pizza, and watching Netflix. We were by each other’s sides constantly before we left to go our separate ways. I knew I was going to miss you, but I didn’t realize how different our relationship was going to be when we could no longer see each other whenever we wanted.
Snapchat was all fun and games during those rare times when we were apart back in high school, but now it’s a lifeline onto which I cling desperately. It’s a window that I’m standing on my tiptoes to look through; to look into your new life thousands of miles away from me.
Communicating is hard. Now, it involves calculating time differences and rearranging schedules.
I wonder what your schedule is like now. Your day used to consist of bagels in the morning, pizza for dinner, and long drives with me in the car blasting The xx at ungodly hours of the night. We used to go to the diner together and order the same meal. Now we eat our meals with people who don’t know what our hometown diner even looks like. We spent our days together, caught in each other’s orbit, but now we’re distant stars. We can see each other’s light if we squint, but for the most part we are invisible to each other.
But I refuse to stop believing you’re there. We may not be able to see each other, but I always know you’re there. We may not talk every single day, but I know we are always here for each other. We may not orbit the same planet anymore, but every now and then, I catch a glimpse of you, and you sparkle. You giggle and smile in your Snapchat stories, and I giggle and smile with you. Something hurts you, and I hurt with you. Miles may keep us from one another, but our hearts are still connected. Nothing can change that.
And when we finally see each other once again come December, I’ll hug you tightly and tell you I’m happy to see you. Maybe we’ll go to the diner again or drive down the parkway playing music. Or, maybe we’ll start some new traditions. But no matter what we do, I’ll always be here for you. All you have to do is pick up the phone.
Love always,
Your best friend