To my BFF from high school and college,
Freedom, at last.
I’m sure this phrase rang through the heads of every college student upon applying and entering college, including us two. Us young adults were finally released from the iron grip that our hometowns had on us; no longer were we defined by our homes and the people we had grown up with. We could spread our wings that had been clipped for the past eighteen years and finally embrace who we wanted to be. It was a time to start anew, a time to leave our past—family, friends, school -- all behind us in the hopes of creating a new future.
When my acceptance letter came in the mail, I couldn’t wait to start fresh in a new place with new faces. I could be whoever I wanted to be without my hometown expectations to bog me down. The moments I’ve lived through for the last eighteen years were about to be trapped behind a shackled door; my future was just beyond the next door that was beginning to crack open.
But someone managed to slip out of the shackles and travel with me into the future: you, my best friend. My BFF from high school would be coming to college with me, and I couldn’t have been happier. Sure, starting new was great, but how better to build a new life than with the person who knew me better than myself?
Other people, however, thought very differently. We were met with a lot of, “‘You’ll never branch out,” and “’You guys will hate each other.” Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure about coming to school with you. I couldn’t imagine a world without you, my partner in crime, by my side; the thought of not growing up to be cranky old ladies together made me seriously consider what we were about to do. I mean, we didn’t intentionally decide to go to the same school -- it just happened, which should be no surprise considering we’re best friends and practically the same person. It would only be natural to fall in love with the same school -- wouldn’t it?
And yet, doubt and fear crept out from the dark corners of my mind and seeped into my train of thought, derailing everything I had thought about us going to college together. My mind was flooded with questions like, What if I never branch out? Or, my least favorite: What if she hates me after this year?
In retrospect, I have realized how incredibly naïve it was of me to let people get to my head like this. Here are the reasons why.
On move-in day, when my parents were finally gone and I was left alone to flounder, you were there to wipe my tears and tell me it was going to be okay. When I didn’t have anyone to eat with, you were there to keep me company and remind me that I was not alone, that I wasn’t a tiny fish in a big pond. When I felt as if no one understood me, you were there to remind me that you were the other half of my brain. And when you fell down and felt abandoned, I was there to pick you up (literally -- remember the dining hall on the first day?) and remind you that you were loved. When I started to let my nerves get the best of me, you were the one to tell me to suck it up and go for it. When I needed a hug, your arms were already open, waiting for me. And when I needed to complain, whine, or cry, you filled in as my mom. Most importantly, you were there to dish out just as much sass and sarcasm as I do without thinking I was a terrible person.
So, to the haters who said we wouldn’t be friends anymore in college: I would argue that our friendship has never been stronger.
To my BFF: Thanks for being my sanity here. And to anyone who is in the same situation: It’s nice to have a slice of home with your literal home slice in college.
With love,
Your thankful BFF.
