In high school I had three best friends that made up my “squad." We were always together meeting up to do homework, de-stress after a long dance practice at our favorite restaurant, or complain about something dumb our boyfriends did. Looking back, I realize they weren’t just my friends, they were my family. At the end of senior year, it finally hit me that we were going four different directions and I feared nothing would ever be the same. Over time, we started to go our own ways before we even left for school and that’s when I knew this friendship was over for good. College was only going to strain it more with us making memories with new and “better” friends. That thought broke my heart. It kind of made me relive my emotions during the "Hannah Montana" finale when Miley and Lily left for college (yeah you know what I’m talking about).
But what I learned was college didn’t hurt, it has made us closer than ever.
How did that happen?
We were calling each other within the first few months complaining about the people at school who didn't understand us and wishing we could all just hang out like we used to and have the squad back together. Reliving the good ole' days of high school and the inside jokes that no one got at college. (Let’s also take note that no one knows what “Publix” or “Milos” is in Texas; how could I talk about home if no one knew what I was talking about?). And no one at college understands the whole story of the ex-boyfriend or of that one person that just made you tick at the drop of a hat. Being apart made us realize how important our bond was and how we couldn’t just let it all go because we were a few hundred miles apart. This whole long distance friendship thing is far from easy, but it is so worth it.
There’s nothing that beats talking to the people that really get you and understand that sometimes you can be dramatic or unreasonable, but they have to listen because they’re your best friends. They are the people I call when it's three in the morning and I feel like I should just quit the whole college thing and start my own YouTube channel to make it by. Or when I’m falling apart because boys are dumb and I can’t handle the stresses of life on my own. We already helped each other survive high school. Now it’s on to the big leagues. And to be quite honest, there are no better girls I’d rather have by my side to help me through it all. So if you’re in your senior year right now, let me tell you this.
Fight for your best friends; you may want to keep them around. You will never know how much you need them until you're a whole plane ride away. They won’t always be down the street or a quick five minutes away to come dry your tears. Cherish the people you surround yourself and love every moment of it.
