It's weird when you meet someone and have no idea how important they will be to you. You'll talk about the weather, where you're from and why you chose to study there. You hope to make friends, and end up making the very best of them.

I studied abroad in Chile for a semester, and through the bumps and waves of missing home, I wouldn't change my experience for anything. I went there to learn a language, and I left with friendships that go beyond a short semester.

We passed each other on the way to orientation and chatted about how excited we were to explore the city. Little did we know, we would be with each other through every adventure. From study sessions at our favorite cafe to being beach bums on the weekends, we became inseparable.

I will forever appreciate what they gave me. Through everything, they supported me and let me know that even though I'm far from home, they would without a doubt do everything they could to make me feel as if I were. Studying abroad means leaving your family and somehow venture out and make your own and I couldn't have been blessed with a better one.

No matter what, I'm forever bonded with the people I met there because we went through the same thing. We cried together and laughed until our stomachs ached. Our bond is something no one will understand unless they truly got to know the people I am lucky enough to call my friends.

Hugging them goodbye was difficult, but I know I'll see them again. We'll visit each other and reminisce about our semester abroad. We'll FaceTime and continue to send hilarious memes in our group chat. Leaving was sad, but being able to go home with so many memories and lifelong friends is a blessing.