Ever since I was four years old, my main friend group was me and my four best guy friends. Pat, John, Zack, Mike, and I have been inseparable since kindergarten, and it is still like that today, even though we all go to different colleges and only get to see each other on breaks. I'm always so proud of this aspect of my childhood friend group, and they have taught me so many amazing things. Whether it's telling me to stand strong and keep moving forward, playing around with me and treating me like one of the guys, or always being there for 3AM bagel runs, they never fail to make me the happiest—and luckiest—girl in the world. All I do is talk about them and how much I love them because they really are the four people that I care about the most in my life.
Pat is the one you come to when you have a complaint about someone else. He always gets annoyed at whatever you're annoyed at, and supports you 100 percent, but also tells you whenever you're being stupid and need to get over yourself. He's the friend that will teach you how to play Call of Duty when you're a kid because you don't understand "boy" video games, always say what's on his mind, and keep your secrets no matter what. He's one of the smartest friends I have and never fails to make us laugh with his random interruptions to tell a funny joke or story, and I always look forward to him sending me funny Instagram posts every morning. He is so strong and can literally handle whatever life throws at him, which has made him such a good example for me when I'm not sure how to handle adversity. We always threaten to beat each other up, and I take him up on a fight, but it always ends in him carrying me and throwing me on the nearest couch (yet I still think I can beat him up every time). I miss him so much and can't wait to hang out in his basement and watch scary movies in his house when we come home for winter break.
John is the one you come to when you want to reminisce on the best times in your friendship. If you have an elementary school memory and want someone to share your excitement, he's your guy. He's not afraid to tell you how much he loves you, hug you when something goes wrong, and welcome you home for every break. He's the kind of person that I could call at any time during the night for help and he would never hesitate to come pick me up no matter what he was doing. He is one of the sweetest, most loving, and genuine friends I've ever had and he always knows how to make everything okay when you're feeling down. He has taught me so much about kindness and compassion, which has made me become a better person over the years. I miss him so much and can't wait for him to pick me up and spin me around when he first sees me and talk about how we have the best friendship while running errands when we come home for winter break.
Zack is the one you come to when you need to just play music or do something fun. He's the friend that always lets you know how much he loves you and tells the best stories. When you want to make a joke, go on random Long Beach runs, or go on coffee/diner/breakfast/lunch/dinner dates, he's the best person to go to. Although we've had our ups and downs over the years, we always laugh about them now and love to tell new people what we used to do to each other. He knows me better than so many people and never fails to give the best advice or understand that all I need is to go on a late night drive instead of talking about whatever is wrong. He's the one that protects me and makes sure that every boy treats me right because he knows the true meaning of family, and that's what we are. He has taught me how to relax and have fun, but also how to know when it's time to go on a crazy adventure. I miss him so much and can't wait to perform our little concerts and go out on our "bestie dates" when we come home for winter break.
Mike is the one you come to when you need to talk about the meaning of life and all of your thoughts, but he is also the perfect person when you just need to joke around and get away from everything. He's always down to go on an adventure for late night bagels, play "left or right", or even just have a dance party when it feels like everything is going wrong. We were born four days apart, and our families are best friends because of us, which makes us that much closer. He is an amazing person and I admire him so much for his humility and resilience, which is something everyone could learn from him. He loves to play "tough guy" when it comes to me, and I am so thankful to have a big brother like him. I miss him so much and can't wait to sleep at his house and go on our creepy movie dates in his house when we come home for winter break.
It's obvious that I have the best guy friends in the whole world. I honestly consider myself so blessed to have them in my life, and I don't know what I would do without them. They treat me like one of them (because I am at this point), and learning what it's like to be apart and miss each other has made us even closer than we've ever been. I love them more than anyone in the whole world, and they really are one of the best parts of my life. Even though y'all never stop making fun of my accent or questioning my stupid decisions, I love you guys more than words. You remind me when to calm down, always participate in my gossip, and never fail to bring me endless laughs and smiles. Thank you for being the brothers I never had.
Love Always,
Rachel
