I am extremely lucky in the fact that many of my friendships from high school have continued and even strengthened since going away to school. Although I don't have my best friends from high school at my college, I have had the blessing of visiting and being visited by a lot of them. Whether it is one or six of my best friends, there are some things that are a given when we reunite outside of our hometown.
1. Pure happiness.
I love my school and the friends I have made here more than anyone, but there is a smile and joy that my best friends that I have known for years bring to my heart when they are around that can't be replaced.
2. Selfies.
As juvenile as it may sound, this never gets old. Nothing quite says friendship like using a selfie stick and taking ridiculous photos everywhere you go in the duration of the weekend. This is a crucial component in having memories to look back on weeks, months and years down the road.
3. Introducing them to your college friends.
This can be a little nerve racking. Trying to merge the groups without any of my friends from home telling embarrassing stories about dumb things we did or pictures from when middle school me was a tad bit awkward, has its difficulties. But with any luck, they will love my new friends, almost as much as they love me.
4. Gossiping about the rest of the high school.
This is not about being mean or talking crap about those we graduated with. It's about sharing any details we may have on progress, regressions or changes in the lives of those that once were so important to us. It's fun to figure out where kids you spent so many years growing up with.
5. Eating at every popular restaurant in the area.
Food is obviously an essential part of reuniting, so why not introduce them to the best places around town to chow down for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snacks and obviously deserts. What's a college town experience without the food to go along with.
6. Snuggling together like nobody else can.
It's about lying close together (or on top of each other), cuddling, talking and enjoying each others' physical companionship that we don't get nearly as often as we wish. It's an awesome feeling to just all lay together and relax for whatever time we are able to have as a unit.
7. Catching each other up on our crazy stories and happenings in our lives.
We try to keep each other up to date, but there are things that are too long or dramatic to be told over a text, or even phone calls or FaceTime. There's usually large amounts of obscure hand motions, shouting, laughter and plenty more emotions to go along with our story time and filling each other in on the extraneous parts of our lives.
8. Reminiscing on the easier days.
In high school, high school was hard. And I'm not trying to downgrade any of that, but now having actual responsibilities to pay bills, cook, work, keep up my apartment while trying to manage a social life and go to to school full time, it's a little different. We chat about the times we spent together inside and outside the walls of our high school, when life was a little simpler, and the crazy encounters that we had along the way together.
9. Someone getting lost.
In a unknown, or even known city, I guess it is easy for some people to get turned around, confused or lost when we are trying to find a place to gather, eat, hang out or whatever. Thankfully enough we have cell phones that will usually do the trick and help us reconnect everyone, but once in a while someone throws a curveball or goes off grid and then we have problems!
10. Tears.
Whether it is upon arrival, departure, in laughter, in sadness, or just out of ridiculousness, when we are together there is a good chance there will be tears along the way. It's not really a bad thing, but it is bound to happen.
11. Making memories.
No matter whether we stay in, go out, or anything in between, we always manage to have a good time just being together. I used to take for granted having all my friends within a couple mile radius at all times. So now when I do get the chance to have a couple or more of them in my apartment, by my side for any amount of time, I take advantage of the friendship, love and chaos and make memories with my best friends.
