Friendships in college are different from those in high school. At my school, my whole friend group took the same classes, and for four years we spent 8+ hours together. Even if we had not liked each other (no worries - we all got along great) we would have still had to be friends, because we spent so much time with each other. Sure there was effort at times - surprise birthday parties, making lunch dates on the weekend, or planning trips to the lake - but for the most part, those friendships were effortless. They were something easily taken advantage of as we saw each other on a day to day basis and never realized how lucky we were to have friends at such a convenience.

I could count on my right hand the number of people I knew at Ole Miss before I moved in. I wanted a fresh start, and that is exactly what I got. No one knew me, and at first, I was afraid that I might have a hard time finding friends. The wonderful about college is that a lot of people are in the exact same boat as you, so in saying that it was not hard before I had met a ton of people. Some of them stayed, and, yes, some did not, but either way, they have all shaped my experience here, and I am appreciative of them all. Especially to the ones who have stayed though, thank you. Thank you for choosing to be my friend, because that's the difference between high school friends and college friends - college friends choose to be your friend.

You aren't going to have all your classes together, you might not be in the same organizations, and you may not even be from the same country. Sometimes you both are so busy that you can't work in a meal together, and that really sucks. You might have different beliefs and political views, and family situations, and skin color - but they pick you and you pick them, and you both work to maintain that friendship. It is an effort that is 100% worth it. I have these certain friendships in my life that I refer to as my "deep and wide friendships" because they are the type of people who pour into me and expect nothing in return. These bonds go so much farther than "hi, how are you" or "let's grab lunch sometime." These are the "tell me what drives you" and "what is really on your heart right now"-type of companionship. My best friends in college love me so well, and they do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Differences are laid aside and we just enjoy each other for who we are. That's a really powerful thing - find people who celebrate you for who you are. These are the people that you'd drop anything in the world for, and you know they'd do the same thing.

So to all my "deep and wide" besties, thank you. You know who you are. You celebrate my triumphs, and you encourage me during my trials. You take the time to talk about the tough stuff, come over at midnight when I'm stressed over school, wipe away my tears, snuggle when I need it the most, and share the very best laughs and sob sessions with me. College is the best of times and the worst of times, and the people who tackle the highs and lows with you are worth holding on to forever.