Squad, entourage, clan, crew, troop, gang. Those are all words commonly used to describe a group of people, right? Right. Well, those words mean so much more to me than a generic group of people. To me, those words are reminders of my best friends, my girls, my favorite people in the whole world, and the people that this very article is dedicated to.

To my dearest girls,

What would I do without you? Where would I be without you? Or more importantly, who would I be without you? You guys keep me sane, you keep me grounded, and you keep me going. Without you, there would be fewer smiles, laughs, and good times. Less hilarious memories and advice about the harder aspects of life. You have taught me to come out of my shell, and try new things, even if it seemed scary at first. You have been there, right alongside me through the ups and downs of this life. You have brought me joy and encouragement on the bad days, and you rejoiced with me gladly on good days. Honestly, you guys have changed my life. And I know for a fact that it is for the better. Without your amazing personalities I would not be the person I am today. Enough said. I'd probably just be sitting in a corner all sad, knowing that I was missing something/someone, but not knowing who/what it was. Thanks for saving me from that.

I love how we are one big, happy family. We all adore each other, and treat each other like sisters. Even though i have sisters of my own, several of who are in the squad, I am eternally grateful that I have you guy as well. With this close of a group, there is always someone to turn to when encouragement is needed, a chick-flick buddy is desired, or a study buddy is a necessity if you are going to get all of your homework done on time.

I love our girls nights, and how crazy excited we all get to be reunited. Even if it's only been a week since we've seen each other, that's seven days too long. For some of us, going even one or two days is pushing the limits. Perhaps we have separation anxiety? That is actually extremely likely, and I don't even care! I honestly couldn't live without you guys. That is seen by our constant texting I guess. We do absolutely everything together. From going to fairs, to movies, to dinner, to the countless Starbucks trips that have taken place over the years. None of that would be the same by myself. Good times have been had, memories have been made, and friendships have been deepened. There are no words to say just how much I love you all.

I'm so glad I have you to text at any time of the day, knowing that at least one person will answer. I adore our group text, and the 600+ messages that we will miss if we don't get on our phone for an hour or so. I love our inside jokes, and how we get each other's weird senses of humor. Honestly, I think if anyone looked back over our conversations they would be concerned for our mental well-being. We very rarely have to explain ourselves to each other… unless there is something crazy involved. Such as an Emergency Room visit or a new guy that one of us is admiring :).

Well my beauties, this article doesn't even reach the top layer of love that I have for you in my heart. I am so thankful for each and every one of you. Honestly, life without you would be pretty miserable if I may say so myself.