If you have ever made friends with someone who doesn't live in the same town as you, or even the same country, you know that your relationship constantly just becomes stronger because you understand that no matter the distance, they will always be there. The first time I really experienced this was when a foreign exchange student came into my life and taught me the true value of friendship.
First of all, I just want to point out how much strength a foreign exchange student has to have. They put aside all of their fears about being alone, getting lost, and become accustomed to living in a new culture with no one familiar around them, which has to be scary as hell. Aside from all of these factors, they have to find friends, and feel welcome by their host family, because if they don't then the rest of the year will not be positive for them.
My senior year of high school, I was preparing myself to make it the best year yet. I wanted to have the greatest memories to look back on, and that is exactly what I got. I met my best friend, Lill Johansen, who had come to spend the year at Baldwin High for a year, all the way from Norway. I think we both went into that year not sure what to expect, but somehow ended up making it better than we could have ever imagined. The first time we hung out, we sat on her bed talking about our lives, and realized we had so much more in common than we could ever imagine, which then lead to tears between the two of us, little did we know those wouldn't be the last tears we would shed together.
Let me tell ya, having a best friend that lives almost 5,000 miles away is not always easy, but what is easy is knowing that nothing will ever change between us, and that I will have a best friend for life, no matter where, and no matter when. Aside from finding the best friend I have ever had, she taught me many lessons, and there are plenty of things that I miss that just aren't the same without her.
1. Strength is important.
As I said before, it takes a lot of strength to come all the way here alone, and live a life you never have lived before. She taught me you can do whatever you want, as long as you try. If you never try, you never know.
2. Support is important.
My senior year I was heavily involved and invested into working on my artwork I was enrolled in a pretty time consuming art class, so I was spending most of my time that year working on that. My class ended up having an art show, and Lill was right there with me. She came and supported me and stayed the whole time, even though I didn't ask her to or expect her to. She taught me that a friend is someone who always supports you no matter what.
3. You don't have to have a boyfriend to go on dates.
Throughout the year we went on countless dates, which were honestly way more fun than I would have had with a boy. She also helped teach me I don't need a boy to determine my worth, I was great all by myself. She helped remind me everyday that I had the strength I needed to do whatever I put my mind to.
4. Breakfast is important.
Whenever I stayed at her house, we always made breakfast, and it was always so fun. She made the simplest things seem so entertaining, which is why she is my best friend. She can take any situation and see the positive, or turn it into something positive, and that is so important.
5. Frozen Lemonade is important.
Every time we went anywhere, the first thing she did was check the menu to see if they had frozen lemonade or not, and if they did we would get it. No matter what the price, or if we had to ask for virgin versions of whatever it was, she always wanted lemonade. Now every time I go out, I occasionally will get one just to remind myself of her, and also have a little bit of a laugh because she requested it wherever we went.
6. Coffee is very important.
I don't want to lie and say that our friendship wasn't based around coffee dates, because it was. We both shared the love of coffee, and she always ordered the same thing for both of us, which is true friendship. Americano with cream, which by the way, they don't have in Norway.
7. Goodbyes are hard, but also important.
Saying goodbye was honestly the worst thing ever, dropping her off at the airport I was not ready for the amount of tears I had, or the amount of hugs or time I wish I could have had more with her of. But the goodbye taught me something important, that no matter the distance, time or wait, true friendship should always stay the same no matter what.
8. Distance is not important.
We still talk to each other when we can and it feels as if nothing has changed. That is true friendship.
