Some people say that it's a struggle to be so far away from your childhood best friends. Sometimes we grow apart from some of our high school friends because we all just start new lives. But for those that we keep in touch with, usually our bonds grow stronger. Even though you are separated and there may be hard times, there are many perks to going to a school away from your best friends.
Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Cliche as it may be, this phrase is true. When you spend all your time together you forget to value the memories you're making. You tend to fight and get annoyed with people when you spend too much time together. You pick up on all their annoying habits and sometimes you just want to be alone. Going to schools miles or even states apart can help you remember how much you value your friends. You miss their little quirks and can't wait to spend valuable time together.
What happens at school stays at school. Your best friends on campus know all your embarrassing stories throughout the year. Things you don't want to follow you back to your hometown stay in the circle of safety within your school friends. If something awkward or painful happens to you at school you don't have to worry about it being brought up when you go home. You have the power of telling them what you want them to know and keeping the rest on campus. Your friends from home also keep your childhood stories safe from your new friends at school. You don't have to worry about them finding out about your first crush or all the embarrassing things you did or said. They can also hold in all the secrets about people in your life at school that you wouldn't want them to find out. But be careful when introducing them to college friends because they will tell stories and show awful pictures of you from your youth.
Breaks don't seem as lonely. When we go home for a long period of time such as summer break or even a long weekend, we tend to get lonely. Sometimes even depressed when sinking into the monotony of break life. We wake up late, binge watch Netflix, and spend a lot of time just laying around. When you have a few friends from home to go to, this doesn't seem so rough. We miss being at school where we have people to hang out with all the time. There's always somewhere to go or something to do. When we're home we go mad with all the free time and the lack of activities. These long distance friends pick up the slack and go to Walmart with you at midnight just because you have nothing to do. This is a wonderful time to catch up on everything you missed while you were apart.
Game days. This is one not many people think about. College game days are a festivity unlike any other. There are many traditions that go along with football season that differ at every school and in different conferences. We only get to really partake in these events while we're in college. Sure we can come back after graduating but you don't get the full experience. Having your best friend attend another school (hopefully not a rival) gives you access to a whole new world of crazy fans and madness.
All of these are perks to holding on to these long term friendships but in reality we gain a lot more than is listed. They're always there to hear about your latest accomplishment or screw up. They congratulate you or pick you up when you need it most. We know that through all that happened throughout grade school, they shouldn't still love you. And if they love you even after hearing everything you do in college, they will be in your life forever.
