Anything in your life can affect your friendships. I know this is true because I’ve experienced it since I’ve come to college. I left behind an amazing friend group (shout out to squad). Half of my friends went going off in multiple different directions for college, and the other half is finishing out their last years in high school.

Back home, I relied on them a lot, probably a lot more than they realized. I loved seeing them every day and talking about really random and mindless stuff, all of our inside jokes, hanging out together in the band room, and every other little thing we did. We had our own personal football tailgates and Squad Christmas every year.

They helped me through a lot during high school. I was so worried about the next step for me of moving far away from all of them. I was worried that they were going to forget about me. I wasn’t there, I was busy with schoolwork, and I most likely wouldn’t be relevant in their lives. But they proved me wrong, and I am so grateful for that.

Being so far away taught me a lot about how to mold the friendships I already had and how to create new ones. It was so different not seeing them everyday, but just as I have to be my own person, so do they. If it wasn’t for our never-ending group chat, I probably wouldn’t be very connected to them. But each time I’m home we always reconnect and it’s like I’ve been there all along. That’s what I love so much about my home friend group; no matter the time, distance, or the events that happened we always hang out as if we had been there all along. They’re the type of friends who you can text at any hour and they’ll talk to you about anything and everything.

Once I got to college, I had to meet everyone for the first time. I barely knew anyone who came to this school with me, so I was all on my own. I was lucky to find a great group of people so soon into the school year. I got to meet new people and find out who I wanted to be around. I knew that I wanted to surround myself with people who would encourage me, make me strive to do and be better, and want to be around me for who I am.

Over my first semester, I’ve gotten really close with some amazing people at Charleston. My theatre group is so incredibly great and so is my church group. I love being around them and I can imagine being lifelong friends with all of these people. I love them and I really can’t wait to continue the friendships throughout college. I’ve had so many conversations that really made me think about new things. I’ve been so many places with these new friends here and have made so many memories already.

With my old friends and my new friend, I’ve been part of the cycle of the changing dynamics of friendship. I’ve lost the people in my life who are distant, but the people in my life that I haven’t stopped thinking about have always stuck by me. I miss my friends from back home but I am also so thankful for the great friends I have met here at school.

So thank you to all my friends. Thank you for the midday french fry runs at McDonald’s. Thank you for allowing me to gush over my favorite shows and musicals and plays. Thank you for introducing me to everything that I love today. Thank you for walking me back to my dorm on a late night at the library. Thank you for the crazy and weird inside jokes.

Thank you for late night talks in our dorm room about what dog we want one day and the possibility of sneaking one in. Thank you for letting me be “mom” of the group because you know it makes me feel better. Thank you for letting me rant, complain, or cry when I need to. Thank you for being there for me when I’m sad or scared. Thank you for everything you have ever done for me. I am always so grateful and thankful for you.

Squad means being together no matter what. We always provide love and support, but we aren’t afraid to totally roast someone when they need it. No matter how the dynamic of the squad changes, the squad remains strong. To my old and new friends, I love you guys so much.