Two weeks ago, I had to say goodbye to my best friend as I left for a semester in London. We aren’t emotional people. We don’t often hug or cuddle or get sentimental and if we ever cry (and we only do so in front of each other), you know something is terribly wrong. But saying goodbye to her, in the driveway of my house, was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I said goodbye to five months of yoga classes, lunch dates, gossip sessions, drives to secret peak, and so much more. Yes, we will continue to message each other every second we can and divulge every detail of our lives from 6,000 miles away, but it’s not the same as practically sprinting to her apartment, throwing myself on the couch, and relentlessly analyzing my text conversation with some frat boy who will eventually crush my already diminished spirits, but that’s a different story.

I don’t often express how lucky I am to have a best friend like her. Yes, she drives me crazy at times when she doesn’t respond for hours and I have a seriously pressing issue (usually related to a boy) or bails on plans for whatever reason. But being apart for two weeks, separated by miles and miles of a plane ride and a meticulously planned Skype call as opposed to a spontaneous FaceTime, is driving me nuts. I’ve only been in London a week and I can’t count on one hand the times I’ve seen something I know she’d find hilarious and turned only to be greeted by some unfriendly British man who gives me a quizzical look as to why I’ve turned his way with a stupid grin on my face.

Best friends do a lot for each other. Calling someone your best friend is just about as stressful as telling someone “I love you” for the first time, in my humble opinion. That tiny, two-word title carries an inexplicable amount of weight and responsibility, but with her, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I know that she deals with a whole lot from my end, and I’m eternally grateful that she’s kept me around since we met at a Pike party that I barely remember. Don’t forget to appreciate your BFF. After all, we put them through all this and a whole lot more:

1. Texting them all the time.

2. Asking their opinions on clothes.

3. Asking their opinion on pictures.

4. Asking their opinion on boys.

5. Stealing their clothes.

6. Forcing them to like your pictures on social media.

7. Making them wingman you.

8. Listening to you complain about everything.

9. Making them go out to dinner (even though they're probably broke).

10. Making them do your hair.

11. Making them go out, even when they don’t want to.

12. Sending them horrifyingly ugly Snapchats.

13. Analyzing every text every crush has ever sent you.

14. Making you feel better about a bad haircut.

15. Taking care of you when you’re sick and your mom isn’t around.

16. Listening to the music you love that they might not.

17. Bringing you Gatorade and McDonald’s when the night before was a bit rough.

18. Always picking up the phone, even though everyone texts nowadays.

19. Holding your hand during tough times.

20. Never losing faith in you.

21. Cheering on your victories and lifting you up after failures.

22. Telling you that you look pretty even when you don’t.

23. Loving you unconditionally.

This feels a lot like a love letter, but I know we’d all be lost without our best friends. Thanks for putting up with us and dealing with our crazy. To my best friend, in particular, I love you and miss you, soup snake.