This goodbye is going to be the worst.

Worse than when she was just gone after I went to get coffee.

Worse than when she traveled the world for a whole summer.

Worse than when she got trapped home for a summer.

This goodbye holds something different, she's not coming back next year.

I get to have a fifth year of school, jury is still out on how I exactly feel about that situation. My best friend though? She is going to go be some weird thing called an adult. It scares the crap out of her, which makes sense, it is a scary step. I'm not worried for her though, I have confidence that it will all work out.

I'm worried about our goodbye.

How do you actually say goodbye when you have no idea when you will see her next? How do you handle the end of an era?

This is what I've come up with so far:

1) Don't let her leave. Just keep her in your closet. Make sure to water and feed her three times a day, and take her out for walks.

2) The Irish goodbye. She just slips away in the dead of night. Gone. It's harsh but you don't have to start crying in front of them like an idiot.

3) Hide in her luggage. It may freak her out when you jump out, but who doesn't want a best friend surprise?

4) Never let go. Literally just hug her and never let go, then she can never leave.

5) Commit a crime*. If you are both in jail, she can't leave. Then you are stuck together forever.

*I do not actually recommend committing a crime. It will ruin your life, and they will probably separate you both anyways so there ends up being no point really. Do not commit a crime.

6) Build a rocket ship and then have her be your co-pilot. You can conquer planets, meet aliens, and do other cool space stuff. Who needs to stay on earth anyways?

7) Actually just say goodbye. Get food together, or coffee, and then help her pack the rest of her stuff. Give her a big hug, wave to her as she drives off, and then Snapchat her sad faces for the following week.

Eventually you will find a new groove. It wont be as easy as things were in college, but part of growing up is making the effort to keep relationships you care about. I have had many long distance friendships in my life, and having one more doesn't scare me.

I am not excited to say goodbye, but I know I will survive (and text way too often).