We live in a world that's so connected that we know a lot about other people's lives even if we don't see them all that often. We know their friends that we've never met, we see their daily activities, and we hear all about how their lives are without us there. As a freshman in college who didn't graduate that long ago, it's been nice to see what my high school friends have been up to since we walked across the stage and received our diplomas. But when it was time to see all of my friends again, it felt cold and distant. We weren't the same people we were only a year ago, but for some reason, I wanted us all to be.

I guess I can't say this is true for everyone. My closest friends haven't changed much. Part of that is because we all keep in constant contact through our group chat or through Snapchat. We talk all the time, and we're always up to date on each other's lives. The other part is because some of my closest friends who went to college only hang out with people who went to our high school.

But then there are my friends who went out and started to meet new people. They left a lot of high school behind them.

I did the same, though. I went to a college where I knew no one and started to figure out my own path without the aid of my high school friends. I went off to the city to become someone else.

So maybe it was me who was different when I saw my friends again.

There is something different in your friends who you haven't seen or kept in touch with much since high school. It doesn't feel real or genuine anymore. It feels like they're people you met maybe a few times and are just seeing again. It doesn't feel like you went to school with them every day for over five years.

But I guess this is what growing up is all about. You leave behind friends even if they were great friends. That doesn't matter sometimes. People grow up, discover new things, move away, and meet new friends. It's just part of growing up, and even though it isn't the best, it's an important lesson to learn. We need to take advantage of our friends when we have the time with them. Who knows what life is going to be like in five years. We need to make the memories while we can, and be the best friends we can be while there's a chance.