15 Things My Friends Have Taught Me
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15 Things My Friends Have Taught Me

How I Found Lifelong Friends In Only 4 Days

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15 Things My Friends Have Taught Me
Cally Audet

In a world as crazy as ours, we grow to find that it is less important in life to have a lot of friends, and more important to have the right ones. It's best to have the ones that overwhelmingly and unexpectedly fill your life with meaning; the ones that bring you to tears, both happy and sad; the ones that catch you when you fall, and lift you higher than you could have ever imagined, simply because they entered your life one day and silently vowed to remain a part of your heart wherever you both may go. It is important to find friends that will guide you to all the right places in life, but also that will help you learn from the mistakes that led you to making the wrong ones. These friends should encourage you to find the good in all things, simply because there is good to be found. These friends should grow to be the yin to your yang, the half to your whole, simply because it's hard to live life without them.

This past week, I have found myself not only blessed with these lifelong friends, but also a friend family that will never be replaced. While venturing across the country for just a few short days with them, I realized that we're having so many incredible moments that I will carry forever. As I sit here reflecting on our unforgettable adventures, I cannot help but feel inspired to share with you all the lessons you have taught me. Here are just a few of my favorites:

1. Everyone has their place.

Being welcomed into a group of what used to be strangers, and feeling like there was nowhere else in the world you were supposed to be in that very moment, is a feeling that no one could ever forget. When we first came together we were are all so different, but we soon found that we are all so very much the same. Acceptance and belonging are two concepts that we as students have grown accustomed to together. I thank you all for being different than me in one way or another, and for teaching me something new. I also thank you for being so much the same in the way that we think and in helping me find my place in this crazy, beautiful world.



2. There is good to be found in every situation.

While thrown into some of the most dysfunctional situations you could ever imagine, there was always something good to be found as long as we were together. Between sitting in the hotel lobby for what seemed to be the longest three hours ever to riding around San Diego in a death trap of a vehicle, the amount of laughs we had were endless.

3. It's OK to laugh at the little things.

At the end of the day, when you're reflecting on all the things that were said and done, remind yourself that it's OK to laugh at the little things. Laugh so hard that you can't breathe. Laugh until you're crying and your heart is as content as it could ever be because these are the moments in life that will be remembered the clearest. Each of you has taught me to find the humor in all of life's dysfunctions, and to make every disastrous situation a perfectly imperfect one.

4. Food choices are crucial...donuts, especially.

In just four short days, I have learned that, with all of you, making decisions about food is not one to take lightly, especially those regarding donuts. Although finding a place that we all agree on was one of the ultimate struggles of spring break 2016, we always seemed to hit the jackpot wherever we went. Although I may have almost turned into a rabbit with the amount of lettuce I ate, I couldn't have asked for better company.

5. It's OK to be nerds--but let me clarify, no we are not chemists from Boston.

Although flattering, the number of times we were asked if we were in San Diego for the Chemist Conference was almost more than I could count. The range of polite answers given back to those who asked were always quite amusing.

6. No one gets left behind...(Houston we have a problem!)

Once a family, always a family...until you forget someone on a mountain, that is. Although only temporarily separated, forgetting Steve on the mountain was by far one of the most memorable moments from the trip. While full of crazy moments, this trip has also emphasized the importance of sticking together not only while adventuring, but also through life itself. It's inevitable that this life will get crazy sometimes, but it's who you bring with you that determines the outcome--thanks for coming with me.

7. Navigation skills aren't always our strong suit.

San Diego, although one big square capable of getting you from point A to point B by many different ways, often exposed our lack of city navigation experience. On occasion, our first paths would lead us to our destinations, while others would lead us through the land of the zombies. Sorry, Taylor, we couldn't put ourselves in the map.

8. Looking after one another isn't a question--it's a given.

If there was one thing I wish I could have appreciated the most about spending this time with you, it's that looking after one another was never a question--it was a given. At any point in time, no one ever went uncared for. The girls always traveled in pairs, as we most often do, and the boys ensured our safety--always. We sought comfort in one another in uncomfortable situations, and tended to peoples' needs when they arose. In a life like this, it gives me great pleasure to confidently say, "I trust you" the way that I do with you.

9. It's OK to disagree.

Through this experience as disagreement lingered in the air, we have each learned the true meaning of compromise. While one thing is good for one person, it may not be good for another, and we respect that. We have learned to accept the things we can, and to respectfully disagree with the things we can't. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no matter what they may be.

10. It is completely acceptable to listen to Taylor Swift at dinner while eating in public.

No matter the amount of questioning looks you may receive while playing Taylor Swift on your phone at the dinner table, I encourage you to do it anyway. Embrace the looks, enjoy the company, sing your heart out, and have the time of your life. As long as you are having fun, that's all the matters, as life is too short to be anything but happy.

11. Uber is a brilliant invention.

While stranded in an unfamiliar city with no transportation other than your already tired feet, discovering Uber is lifesaver. Traveling in a large group ensures that you will pay very little, as the number of free rides keep racking up on your account. Embrace the weird Uber drivers because you can learn a lot, but it's okay to avoid the ones that drive it like they stole it--safety first, of course.

12. Birthday celebrations can happen whether or not it's actually your birthday.

If a waiter insists that it's your birthday, there is a good chance that the entire restaurant staff will show up singing at your table whether it's actually your birthday or not... just go with it.

13. The little things will mean the most someday.

Take advantage of the little things, as those are the things that 20 years from now will remain in your heart. Like the catch phrases you said repeatedly ("It's a no from me!") or that one song that reminds you of the beach every time you hear it. Remember the way you felt sitting in a room full of people you've grown to care so much about. Remember the sunshine, and cute little donut shop that changed the world of donuts. Remember the sound of your friends laughing and how contagious it was. Remember how you felt lying down at night after laughing so hard you couldn't move. Remember the way your heart felt when you left paradise, because those little things will forever be the big things.

14. Truly love your friends like family.

People say after spending so much time together, your friends become your family. What they don't tell you, however, is that it doesn't really take that long. To me, this concept of family develops when someone has become close enough to earn a special place in your heart, much like each of you has in mine. In just four days, we learned to laugh, fight, be goofy, and to be serious with one another. We have taught each other the importance and the power of turning a stranger into a friend, and a friend into family. It brings such joy to my heart to consider you my friend family. As Lilo once said to Stitch, "You are my Ohana. Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten."

15. You can find a lifelong friend in only four days.

Among all of the important things you have taught me, the most important is how to find a forever friend in just four short days. No one ever tells you that a bond can be formed in such a short period of time, but my response to that is that anything can happen, as I have found some of the very best friends in you.

I sit here writing to you, in hopes that you have begun to understand how much I have appreciated this experience. I want to thank you for filling my heart with such completion, and doing so in a way that I will never forget. My heart has been flooded with enough joy and memories to last me a life time, and I owe that all to you. Thank you for all that you have taught me, and for all the things you will continue to teach me every day from now until forever.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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