Growing up comes with a lot of important stages of life. Going to college is one of them. People are left clinging to their past while still looking forward to the future. One of the most difficult parts of going to college is leaving the life you’ve always known and entering a new and mysterious place with fresh faces and unpredictable experiences. Meeting new people while still keeping in touch with your hometown friends is an incredibly important balancing act, since the people who stuck with you during this crazy transition will always want to be there for you. But friends are friends, right? Who says there are differences between college friends and hometown friends?
Here are some differences between your OG crew and the newcomers:
1. Your hometown friends will always have history with you.
College is the place where everyone can start fresh and forget the past, so it’s always possible to reinvent yourself. However, your hometown friends will never forget your awkward stage and will constantly #TBT the pictures of your first day of middle school, that candid shot of you with your Justin Bieber cutout and of course the day you got your braces on (rainbow bands and all). Your college friends won’t ever experience these moments with you, but they’ll be there for your first day of college algebra and will stand by your side at your college graduation. Your hometown friends helped you get through the painfully awkward growth spurts and t-shirts from The Children’s Place, while your college friends are helping you survive the age of selfie sticks and clever Instagram captions.
2. There’s distance (in miles) between you and your college friends.
Your hometown friends will always be less than 10 minutes away from you, but it will take a few hours and a multiple stops for coffee to go see your college friends in their own hometowns. When you visit your college friends you will have the chance to meet many different people from many parts of the country that you did not know existed until your school companions introduced you. Yes, there are other places in the world besides the town you live in, shockingly.
3. You don’t live with your hometown friends.
Sure, their family may have a spot for you at the dinner table, and your family buys them gifts for their birthdays, but now that you are away from home, you haven't actually lived with your home crew for about a year. Your college friends will always be the ones that lived with you and experienced you in your new natural habitat.
4. Some of your hometown friends were “five days a week” friends.
Believe it or not, a lot of your hometown friends were close with you because you were forced to see them five days a week at school. Looking back through my high school yearbook, I recognize faces that I don’t see around much anymore because I’m not in school with them every day. It’s not a bad thing to grow apart from people, that’s just the way life works. If people are meant to be in your life, they will be.
5. Your hometown friends will always appreciate the glory of your hometown.
No matter what, your college and hometown friends will always have a special place in your heart. Both groups are essential to your development as a person, and you’ll never forget the memories you’ve had with any of your friends, whether at home or at school. At the end of the day, any friend is an important one, so maybe thank them on Twitter or post a nice Instagram for them once in a while.
