When your friend leaves to go travel the world and all its greatness, you are torn between the support you have for their upcoming adventures, and the epic sadness you feel as you long for them to return home.
Currently, I am in a long-distance best friendship, and let me tell you, it is really hard. We are constantly dealing with different time zones, no cell phone service and the weakest wi-fi connections, but we are making it work.
As I go through my normal daily routine here at school, she is taking in the culture of different people all over the world. Sometimes, it is hard to fill her in on everything that I want her to know about life back home, and vice versa if I was with her.
Who is going to laugh at the craziness in my head? How am I supposed to function as a normal adult when she and I both know that we can only do that in the same vicinity? The struggle.
Even though this relationship is not particularly easy, I will say in 100 percent honesty, it is worth it. I love when I check my inbox and I see an email from her.
I get so excited because I know I am about to read a novel about her life in whatever city has the privilege of having her in it.
I get to read a real life account of traveling the world it its unfiltered, comical and surprising glory. I read her emails in her voice, keep track of where she is and count how long until she is back watching movies and eating cookies with me.
I get to tell her about my life here at school and she gives me perspective on things occurring in my life that only she can because she is away.
I get to watch her grow up and change from these travels, and I am so proud and blessed to have this new worldly best friend to learn from.
We get to plan out the meals that we are going to share when she returns home and the activities that we can't wait to do together. (Little Johns, here we come.)
She and I sometimes have moments of sadness and think about the things that she is missing out on back at school, but I believe with all my being that this time in her life is something that will take an already incredible human and enhance her.
She is going to come back with new stories, unique souvenirs and a really good tan, but along with this material, she's going to come back stronger.
I hear it in her voice now when we have the opportunity to talk on the phone that she is the same friend that I know and love, but also a friend that is taking in these experiences and growing from them.
I am so excited for the day she returns to her life here at UVA and we can take on the rest of the year together. It is going to be like nothing has changed although many things have.
We both are older, stronger, and wiser, and her being gone has only highlighted the fact that this friendship can survive through anything.
Take this account of my present situation with you when you one close to you leaves for a long amount of time. It makes you appreciate them so much more and you realize how much you need them in your lives.
The day your friend returns will be the greatest day ever, and I know this because mine is shaping up to be one. I know that one of my favorite people will be in the same time zone, and I don't have to email her my whole life story to keep her up to speed.
Miss you Erin, I cannot wait to have my sister back by my side.
