Dear high school friends,

There's few things that I miss from high school, but you guys are definitely it. I miss our study sessions, Friday night football games, movie nights, coffee runs, random shopping days, and mostly, seeing you guys every day. I always thought that I'd always have you guys to go to class with, to eat lunch with, or the get food after school with. But it turns out, that we all decided on different walks of life after high school. We all chose different colleges, different priorities, and different places to live. Which is fine, we're becoming more busy and independent. But it's hard sometimes. It's hard to not miss high school just because I got to see you every day. It's hard to transition into this long distance friendship, for good. And it's not going to stop at us being three hours apart; we're eventually going to live in places that we'll have to fly to in order to see each other. And as much as this fact hurts my heart, I'm so proud of you. I'm proud to be able to stand back and cheer you on, to see you meet new people and enjoy life. I'm so proud that I get to be the one you call when you want to run away from your life there, and come visit me for a mini-vaca. Nothing makes me happier than watching you grow and succeed in all of your dreams. I've watched you all go from being upset about a guy not texting you back freshman year, to now watching you guys take on leadership roles at your colleges and conquer the world.

Also, thank you. I'm so thankful to have friends that have always listened to me, guided me, and gave me the honest truth when no one else would, regardless if I wanted to hear it or not. Thank you for pushing me and believing in me. Thank you for supporting me in everything I do, and fueling my dreams. Thank you for all the times you picked me up and blared music with the windows down and sang your heart out with me. Thank you for the times you spotted me cash for food when I didn't have my life together, or when I forgot to grab cash from the ATM. Thank you for giving me the good bed at your house to sleep in, or for letting me use your phone charger all night because I left mine at home. Thank you for understanding my clumsy, awkward ways and loving me anyway. Thank you for welcoming me into your family. Thank you for letting me vent to you, and backing me up, even if I was being dramatic. Thank you for understanding my mad love for coffee, and knowing when that's all I need. Thank you for waking up early in the morning to make me coffee and breakfast before I leave your house to go to work. Thank you for sharing your clothes with me, and for being patient with me getting them back to you. Thank you for encouraging me when I'm down, thank you for forcing me to go to high school events because you knew I would regret it one day. Thank you for the road trips, the movie nights, and the deep late night conversations.

Even though we're just now starting to get our own lives and move away, I want you to know that I'm always a phone call away. Regardless if you're hours away, or states away living in an over-priced apartment in New York. I can't wait for the day that I can fly out to New York or Chicago, or wherever else you might end up, to come see you in your cute little family home with a white picket fence and a dog running around or to come see you in your over-priced apartment in New York. I can't wait to stand next to you at your wedding, and to plan your baby showers. I can't wait to watch you grow up and kill it at your job. I can't wait to bring you breakfast in bed when you're eight months pregnant and don't feel like getting out of bed. I can't wait to see your name in magazines, or to see photos of your family all over Facebook. I can't wait to babysit your kids when they're driving you nuts. I can't wait to watch you live your life, and cheer you on the whole time.

I stood by you when you went through your awkward teen years, your scene stage, your hipster stage, your "I don't care" stage, and now, your early twenties stage. I've watched you cry for hours, picked you up with coffee, came over to your house with a tub of ice cream, brought you food when you fell and broke your foot getting out of the shower, let you copy my homework when you forgot about it, listened to you talk about how much the world hates you just so I could encourage you and speak truth into your life, prayed for you, cried with you, etc. You're more to me than just high school friends; you're like sisters to me. You're my best friends, and I can't wait to enjoy this next stage of life we're about to go through. Even if it is bittersweet and scary.

I love you guys so much, and I'll see you soon.

Until our next girls night,

Your high school best friend