Chicago, Denver, Bronxville, Appleton and Northfield. Five souls that feel inexplicably connected to my own splayed around the United States as if we hadn't grown up a 15-minute drive away from each other. Welcome to a love letter to all my long-distance relationships and how I stay connected to each of them.

Chicago: Freshman year of high school sitting in the hallway laughing while you desperately tried to teach me the quadratic formula.

Denver: Senior year of high school peeking behind me to catch a glimpse of you smiling.

Bronxville: I couldn't even tell you, but I'm so glad we met.

Appleton: Freshman year of high school sharing your blanket with me in the shock of coldness brought on by the fall weather.

Northfield: Senior year of high school watching you debate a misogynist to waste class time.

Chicago, Denver, Bronxville, Appleton and Northfield, I can feel my heart reaching to all of you, pulling me in five different directions. I can't wait to see you again.

It is hard to leave the people who have taught you so much.

Chicago taught me devotion as a friend, what it means to actually be there for someone through thick and thin. We have spent nights together laughing so hard we swore we were going to have abs the next morning.

Denver taught me how to trust. When I don't feel well, we sit in my basement watching plotless movies eating Giordano's pizza even though it always makes us both sick the next day.

Bronxville taught me the importance of having a strong, clear voice. She is unapologetically herself. It makes you think, "That is someone who knows who they are, who they want to be." Every month we gorge on pancakes and hash browns together.

Appleton taught me the value of adventure. She showed me that to be close doesn't require talking every day. Sometimes we sit in her car (her with steak tacos and me with quesadillas), and I get to listen to her talk about the beauty of the world.

Northfield taught me that it is OK to question systematically accepted ideas and that it can even be a little fun to challenge them. We sit on the hot sand laughing about the idiocy of Socrates.

My friends are a part of me, and I am so lucky to be able to be a part of their lives. No one warned me how hard it would be to leave them all. They said things like, "You'll make new friends in college, they will be your friends for life," but to be completely honest, I think I have already found my lifelong friends. They are strong, they are loving, they are confident, they are studious, they are funny, they are supportive, and I wouldn't be who I am today without them.

While I am ready to grow and meet new friends, it is important to keep these people close to my heart. I see them everywhere, especially in my new college friends.

Being on your own is scary, but texting, FaceTime, DMs, and Snapchat allow me to stay in connection with my friends. I introduce them to my new friends, and we all plan future visits. When we find the time to break away from our daily routines, we call and talk about our food cravings, the new people in our lives and our classes. Sometimes we sit in silence and watch a movie together.

There is no wrong way to keep in touch with someone because you know your relationship best.

Chicago, Denver, Bronxville, Appleton and Northfield, I love you all, and to the friends I have met in Oxford, I love you too.