I always laughed at the constant change in my groups of friends from elementary to high school, but the journey in college has been unbelievable. Instead of groups changing, I have actually realized that there are a few friends who not only stayed by my side, but they have grown to be family. I came to college not knowing who I really was or who I wanted to be. Leaving a small town with vineyards and coffee shops, I knew that moving miles away would have some difficult times. What I didn’t know was that I would have a group of people that would be there for those difficult moments.

My college best friends, my group of lovers, my family, whatever the world wants to call us, I am thankful I have you. Because of all of you, I have laughed a little harder, cried a little less, and smiled a lot more. Sometimes I tell stories of our experiences as if I have known you forever, but the reality is that it took two years or less for me to feel completely at home as I was surrounded by the greatest folks I knew. The last two years of my life have been much like the situation of a party. Many people were invited, but some people will leave early, and you stayed all night. Instead of just laughing with me, you have definitely laughed at me. In the end, after all of the fun, you didn’t leave my side. A billion sarcastic comments, a million late night study sessions, a thousand inside jokes, a hundred hugs, but only a few people was all it took for this college experience to be magical.

I have learned many life lessons since I moved from the beautiful small town high school, and many situations have not turned out how I had hoped. Some things went so wrong that they couldn’t be fixed or get put back together so they end up staying broken. However, I’ve also realized that I was able to get through those bad times and look for better… because I had the most supportive group of best friends by my side. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when all I want to do is fly you to Neptune and leave you there, but the power that you have to bother me comes from the fact that I listen and care about what you’re saying so the love still exists. Whether it’s the days that all of you have pulled me out of bed to party or the days that you tucked me into bed because you knew I needed rest, thank you. It didn’t matter how many people were ever in the room on a Saturday night because as long as I had my group, I knew it would be an incredible time. All in all, the people that have really made my college experience so memorable know exactly who they are, and whether you have graduated or are stuck with me for another year after this, I’m so lucky to have you in my life. All the moments where you drove me completely crazy or even the other way around, I wouldn’t change a single one.