Even though I saw you just last week when you came to visit, it feels as though it's been so much longer. After almost a year it's still weird not seeing you every day and always having you to take me to Wawa every Sunday after a long weekend. I'd say I hope you're doing well but I already know you are. I also know you go to bed early now since you have a real-world job to tend to; in college, you'd laugh at that idea because we'd spend every night staying up until 2:00 am doing the most random of things. Whether it was watching Family Feud for hours when we had nothing better to do, or just taking funny videos on Snapchat of each other from across our living room, there was never a dull moment.

Being two years older than me, you always treated me as your younger sister. With that being said you deserve some thank you's. First of all, thank you for letting me drag you out with me to parties when you could have gone to the bars, I promise sophomore year me appreciated it. Second, thank you for always being down for food, Wawa and Chipotle especially. Lastly and most importantly, thank you for always having my back; no matter the obstacle I know I'll always have your full support.

Now here we are one year later; in just a few weeks I'll be ending my junior year of college and transition to an upcoming senior while you'll be celebrating your twenty-third birthday and a year full of accomplishments.

You've given me such amazing advice on how to prepare myself for the real-world that I'll have to be ready for come this time next year. The best advice you gave me is to be open to a wide range of job opportunities; that the job I end up obtaining may not be a job I expect and may not fall into my major, but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a shot. Knowing that you're happy with a job you love allows me to not only keep an open mind but also have confidence that I will too, even if it isn't what I picture myself doing at this very moment.

You also showed me life can still be fun and amazing after graduation as long as you make it. The fear many of us college students have going into graduation is that after becoming a part of the real-world, we'll slowly lose our motivation and time to go out and experience new things, travel, etc. Despite working a full-time job, you make time to see friends and try new things. After a full week of work you still go out of your way to come back and visit me, as well as your other friends. You just bought a flight to travel to North Carolina and visit a friend and when I graduate, I hope to be able to do the same.

Finally, thank you for teaching me to have complete confidence in myself and understand that my happiness is important and valued. Life is short and being someone who sometimes doesn't speak up and forgives too easily, that's something I needed to hear. Thank you for letting me know that its okay to put myself first and to let go of those who bring me down and threaten my positivity and happiness. Thank you for making me feel confident in not only myself but also my abilities and the path I am on.

So one more time, thank you for everything.

Keep doing what you're doing and making me proud,

Devon