Where do I even start?

How do you say goodbye to the person who is always there to pick you up when you're down? In reality, you can't, but we have to try regardless. As I always tell myself, 'it's not goodbye, it's see you later'.

As an only child, I was always very close to my parents. Since I was an only child and a girl, I quickly latched onto the "Daddy's Little Girl" concept.

I never asked for much from my dad, but he was always there to make sure I had everything I needed. From getting to my dance classes on time to being picked up from school with a snack and water bottle waiting for me, my dad has always been Super Dad.

As I got older, the snacks and on time rides faded but filling up my tank with gas or leaving me a little extra spending money on the dining room table began to fill their places. My dad always made sure I was taken care of.

Leaving for freshman year of college was hard. It was the first time I was truly on my own. I had to do my own laundry, get up by setting an alarm, grab breakfast on the go, and complete all the other things I had to do on a daily basis, and I had to do it all without the help of my dad.

I learned to be independent and self-sufficient. I learned that if I wanted something done I had to do it myself. But I also learned that my dad was never more than a phone call away.

Whenever I was stressed or felt I had too much on my plate, I called my dad and he talked me through it. He would ask about my classes, my friends, and what I had for dinner the night before (just to make sure I was eating well).

Although far away, he always worried about me and made sure I was okay. I will never be able to thank my dad enough for what he does for me, but I do hope someday to be as good of a parent to my kids as he is to me.

Dad, you always have the ability to make me laugh and the two of us are always in sync. We can laugh at nothing for hours and share a thought with just one look. No matter how embarrassing you are, I am still always proud to call you my dad.

As I am about to embark on sophomore year, I want you to know how much I love you and how much I appreciate all the things you do for me, even the little things.

Thank you for being there on my worst days and also on my best. Even though I am in a different state, we are never that far apart. I'm always a phone call or a FaceTime away, and if that's too far, the flight is only 50 minutes!