142 miles, two hours 28 minutes is what stands between my best friend and I during the school year. I’m sorry, but whoever says, "Oh, that’s not too bad of a distance," obviously doesn’t have a best friend like mine and they are full of sh*t!

I have known my best friend for my entire life, our grandparents were best friends. Finding this type of friend these days is near to impossible. Best friend is not a serious enough word, as the word isn’t valued as much as it should be. I think of her more of my sister. We have gotten in fights (less now more when we were little) and typically one of us would just stomp up or down the hill, back to one of our houses. Then an hour later, laughter wafts through the back yard, as our chalk covered legs pumped to power our swings, taking our imaginations out of this world.

Of course, we hit rough patches when we were younger. Everyone wanted to be her best friend and jealousy got the best of me. Now, I’m proud to be her best friend, watching her blossom and succeed at almost everything she does. She is loved by so many, from babies to adults to the elderly to dogs. It is her confidence and humbleness that makes her a role model, not only for young adults, but also me.

She inspires me to work my butt off, to go after what I want, to carry myself with class, to be confident, to not take life too seriously, to dance like no one is watching, and to treat all with the same respect and love. She’s that girl, you know the one, they look good whether in sweats or a dress. Yes, I get jealous of those little things. Deep down, she doesn’t know this, but I hate her.

I hate that she is so damn smart, adventurous, and independent and that she had to go to her dream school 142 miles away. I hate her, because there is never enough time with her as she has friends and family other than me. I hate that summers go by too quick, I hate that she was working her tail off this summer to work toward her future career and now, we put our Catalina adventure on hold.

Every outing is an adventure, whether it’s to Island Ice, USA and Mai Tai, or shopping for the perfect top or jeans that fit her legs, but I have these simple memories and those bigger of our trips together, matching T-shirts and all, to help to make the miles seem not as long.

When we're together, we don’t always talk the whole time, but we don’t have to. I feel like a crappy friend when we don’t talk a lot, but it is an unsaid bond that we will always be there for one another, whether a call in the middle of the night or walking through how to make a craft. Sometimes, things in life try to cut the ties that bind you, but it’s the way you work together through all of those things that create the strong everlasting connection.

Thank you for everything, thank you for the memories, thank you for being there for the good and bad. Most of all, thank you for being my person, no matter the distance.