College. It's a time when all of your high school friends go in different directions... Literally. Some may be just a few hours away and others might need a plane to get to school. Whether it's a drive or a flight away, it is always hard to say goodbye to your best friends after breaks. So, naturally, you go through the five stages of grief.
1. Denial
First, you deny that the distance will be too much. You tell yourself that the two of you can handle the distance and that texting will be the same as seeing each other, but really you are just avoiding the reality that phone calls will be missed and texts will be glanced over.
2. Anger
Then anger sets in. You get angry that your other half is so far away and she won't be there to hug you on your worst day. She won't be down the road when you want to watch your favorite movie with her, and she won't be able to bring you cookie dough and ice cream when you're upset. Which is quite ironic considering just how upset you are about your distance apart. She's not going to be there like she was your whole life, you can't celebrate your traditions together like before, and it makes you angry because that's all you would ever want.
3. Bargaining
So then the two of you begin to talk, "Well, what if I fly out next weekend?" or "What if I drive up on the 24th?" And you start to make plans that are all great, but extremely hypothetical. Because let's be real, neither of you have the money or the time to make that come through, so you move onto the next step.
4. Depression
Once you realize that you two will not be able to see each other until the next overlapping school break, it's really sad. You don't realize how much your best friend really plays a role in your life until she is miles away and neither of you have modes of transportation to see each other. You realize small holidays won't be the same when you can't see each other and you have to call her or text her every time something important happens in your life.
5. Acceptance
Finally, you accept that while your BFF lives 1,000 miles away from you, you can still FaceTime once a week and text every day. But you also know that it will be hard: the goodbyes, the hellos and the moments in between. It will take a lot of hard work to keep up with each others' lives and every second you spend together will be cherished more than ever before, the continued traditions will be looked forward to and the new traditions will only make you stronger. It's a special bond—being long distance best friends—but it's the best relationship you could ever ask for.
