For anyone out there reading and wondering “Will things be the same with my high school friends after college?” I am here to tell you that things might not be the same they will be better. Your high school best friends are the ones who shape you during some of the hardest years of being a teenager. They get to see you grow out of that awkward middle school phase and into a young adult. They get to stand by you during some of the hardest trials in your lifetime, like getting into your dream schools, or standing up to bullies, and those friendships are worth keeping.
Six years ago I moved from the freezing tundra of Illinois, to the sunshine state of Florida, and if you ‘d asked me how my life was I probably would’ve told you that it was really hard. About 4 months after living in Jacksonville, FL I had met lifelong friends that I can honestly say changed my life for the better. I want to thank them for the ways that they have touched my life. If they hadn’t been so welcoming to me that first month I was the “new kid” I probably would never have made many friends in High School. Junior and senior year of high school are kind of a big deal, and they made my last two years ones to remember.
Fast forward six years and I just got back from an amazing girls weekend in New York City with those friends. I want to thank them for teaching me how to stand up for what I believe in, how to be myself, and how to plan a stellar Christmas party. Each of us has grown in a different way in our new adult lives. We are all figuring out how to do this whole “adult” thing, but the best part about it is that we are doing it together, and we are staying in touch. We are blessed to live in an age where technology is almost endless. It makes it easy to stay in touch, but we make an effort to understand what each other is going through and be there for one another still, even after four years of being separated in college.
So yeah things with your High School friends will change, but I am here to tell you that they will be better. So make sure to say thank you to those friends who helped shape you, and be sure to make an effort to stay in touch and to understand each other, and don’t get too caught up with the idea of “replacing your friends”. You are going to meet a whole other squad of people in college, and those friends will have a special place in your life as well, but your high school friends they are the ones who have seen you grow up, and that is something worth keeping.
