It’s been months since you’ve seen them, and it’s been way too long. Going from seeing each other practically everyday to not seeing each at all is a huge change, and you miss them. These are the people who know by the look of your face and the sound of your voice that something is wrong. Now they are miles away living their own life while you’re trying to navigate yours. The thing about about being apart is that you guys are still there for each other and are ready to celebrate your accomplishments and cry about your problems. Although you’re constantly snapchatting each other (it’s all about those streaks) and texting updates, there’s nothing like seeing your best friends again IRL. With break and college visits on the horizon, here are some things that you can expect when you finally see your people again.

1. Giving them the countdown when you’re en route to their house/dorm

Oh, the anticipation of seeing your best friends again. You try to surprise them but that fails quickly because you can’t keep your mouth shut. So the “how far are you” texts become as frequent as 15 minutes apart. Ya know, because the rate of travel could have miraculously increased in that time.

2. Going in for the bear hug

Nothing like hugging the people that you haven’t seen in months. It’s the rocking, hold on tight hugs that show how much you missed each other.

3. Crying from Happiness

Maybe I’m just a really emotional person, but when I saw my two best friends again, I started tearing up. You never realize how much you truly missed them until they are physically with you again. You can text, call, snapchat, and FaceTime, but there’s nothing like actually being with your best friends in the same place at the same time.

4. Catching up on gossip

Of course, you need to talk about all the hookups, break-ups, new couples, stable couples, ivy kids, yada-yada. What do you expect? You need to make sure that you aren’t missing out on something “important” while you're in your campus bubble.

5. Complaining about people and classes

Their pain is your pain. That person down the hall that keeps yakking in the bathroom? We all collectively agree that she needs to get her life together… and maybe learn her tolerance, too... either one. That professor who doesn’t curve? He shouldn’t be allowed to teach. Problem solved.

6. Smiling and laughing way too much

There's something about being around the people who make you the happiest that make the laughs loud and the smiles contagious. They laugh at your corny puns and make fun of your awful storytelling. Only they could possibly predict the endings of your crazy stories because they know you so well.

7. Eating a lot of food

I don’t know why this happens, but it does. I guess it’s the comfort level that makes it perfectly acceptable to eat a bag of brownie brittle and a pint of ice cream. It’s ok, that’s why you wear sweatpants and baggy t-shirts.

8. Reminiscing

High school. Those were the days when everyone thought things were hard. Lol good one. Now we look back on the times of “bad grades,” cliquey drama, and failed relationships and think, “Why did we care so much?” Easy. Because none of you had experienced reality yet.

9. Interrogating each other on your lives

How’s college? Are you getting along with your roommate? Do you like your classes? How’s the food? Have you seen so-and-so yet? Is there anything interesting happening in your personal life? What classes are you taking next semester? You get the gist. Life is different than it was before, and you need to make sure you’re up to date.

10. Realizing that while you all may have changed, the friendship hasn’t

No one is going to be the exact same person they were since you last saw them. Everyone experiences new things everyday, and sometimes those things make a huge impact on our lives and our mindsets. There’s always going to be new people to introduce, new stories to tell, and new thoughts to share, but when you’re together, you pick up right where you left off.

11. Feeling 100% content

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, whether it’s chilling on the couch and watching The Office or dressing up and planning to go out, you all are just happy to be with each other again. When life is crazy and constantly changing, best friends can rely on one another to instill a sense of normalcy and consistency. It’s hard to go back to reality knowing that you can’t take them with you, but in that time, you feel the support that will always be there whether the gang is together or not. That’s true friendship.

When we are down and overwhelmed in our lives, sometimes all it takes is seeing the people who love us unconditionally to put everything back in perspective. It feels so normal to be with them, almost as if nothing has really changed. Then you remember that you have a bus to catch and that all good things must come to an end. Obviously, it’s hard saying goodbye, we all wish visits could last a little longer, but we leave each other more refreshed and happier than we were before. Let the count down to the next trip begin!