Let me start by saying that I miss you. With you traveling all the time, I've been stuck here in our hometown just hoping that you're living your best life. When we were in high school, we were inseparable. It was rare to see one of us without the other. We joined every club together, volunteered with projects together and our senior year we even had identical schedules. You are the one person that made my high school experience valuable. The friendship, love, and support that you gave to me during our 4 years made those some of the best of my life. But when the time for college came, we knew we were heading down separate paths. You had your heart set on going out of state to a university and studying abroad while I attended our local community college and settled down with a real job. Not seeing you every day was one of the hardest transitions that I ever had to make because it felt like losing one of my limbs. Your presence was vital to me and I missed you so much. We knew that no matter what happened or where we were, that our bond could never be broken.

Once college started for me, I was scared and alone and I had no one. You were in another state, moving into your dorm and making new friends. For a while, it felt like you had left me behind. You were moving on with your life to bigger and better things and I was in the same place that I had always been. 10 minutes away from our high school and still going to see my brother at his events in the same school we had just graduated from. I fell into a routine and by doing that, fell into a rut. I was unhappy. I was miserable. I had no one to talk too. I couldn't burden you with my problems because you had enough of your own to worry about. I was lost and didn't know how to navigate this new kind of friendship. Your parents offered to take me up to see you for one of your concerts and when I finally saw you again, I was elated. I was basically floating off of the ground, 10 feet above the clouds. My missing piece had been restored. But when it was time to leave, and it hit me that you weren't coming with us... I felt my heart start to ache. I hugged you and tears streamed down my face as I left my best friend alone in her dorm room.

It's been a crazy ride since we graduated from high school and now we're in our third year of college. Every time you're home on break, we make plans. We jump right back into talking as if we were never apart. You mean the world to me. Through everything, you've been there. I can always count on you to be my rock and to be my partner in crime, no matter the miles between us. There's nothing else to say except that I love you and I have the matching tattoo to prove it. I know that you're abroad right now, on your new big adventure and I just want you to know that I wish you nothing but good vibes and happiness. You have a heart of gold and no one is more deserving of adventure and endless opportunities than you.

As always, I pray that you stay safe.

I hope that living abroad this semester gives you some of the best stories of your life. I can't wait to hear all of them when you get back. I pray that you find new friends while you're over there and make connections that will last you a lifetime. I pray that your compass always brings you back home to me and to the family.

P.S. If you're reading this, I want you to bring me back something so that I can add it to my collection!