Ever since I was little, I've always been told that the friends you make in college are the ones you keep forever. From the friends my mom stays in contact with to my older friends who still talk to their college friends on a daily basis, I've grown up seeing the importance of college friends. However, I never really thought much about exactly how important they would be to me. It wasn't until about three weeks ago when I realized my friends would be leaving for the next three months that I began to understand that the people I have spent the past couple months with have become the biggest part of my life.

In college, the people you surround yourself with become your second family. Growing up with siblings, it can be hard to live on your own and have nobody to constantly bug you. However, that's what friends are for. The relationships I have formed with my friends closely resemble those that I have with my siblings. I am not afraid to express myself and say what I want around my friends. I know I can always count on them to be honest with me when I need advice and guide me in the right direction.

I didn't even realize how much time I spent with my friends until they went back home. As a result of living so close to each other, basic daily activities have become known as group outings. From studying to grabbing a bite to eat, most of the things I find myself doing are done with my friends alongside me. I honestly can't tell you the last time I went grocery shopping or ran to target and didn't have someone tag along with me.

Going home for summer has thrown off everybody's routine. As happy as I am to be on summer vacation, how are we supposed to go from spending at least 10 hours a day together to not seeing each other for 3 months? It's absolutely ridiculous if you ask me. Luckily, we have group facetime and special events to reunite to help us keep each other in check.

Don't get me wrong, I love my friends from home with my whole heart. The experiences I have made with them have shaped me into the person I am today. I love spending time with them and take any opportunity available to do so. However, friendships are not the same. Re-explaining the past 9 months of my life to every single person gets a little bit tiring. Not being able to tell a story without being asked who is who can get frustrating. Aside from that, I can only tell my funny stories so many times before they gin to lose their charm. There have been too many had to be there moments that only my college friends could understand.

To all the friends I have made in college so far, thank you. Thank you for becoming my second family and for pushing me to become the best version of myself. Thank you for always giving me a reason to laugh and things to be excited for. It's amazing that I made it so long without my college friends in my life. Although we may have not all known each other for that long, it seems like we've been friends forever and I can't imagine my life without them.