Dear new "college" friends,
Our first semester here is quickly ending. It feels like just yesterday that we were panicking about how to fit all of our stuff we thought we needed into this tiny shoebox that we call a dorm room. Formal handshakes and “nice to meet yous” filled the dorm halls, the cafeteria, and the orientation groups. We embarrassingly asked each other’s names several times before we could confidently pass each other and say hello. Awkward lunches of lackluster “how do you like your classes” conversation quickly turned into late night spill-all sessions on the floor of my dorm room.
My biggest concern coming into college was making friends that would understand where I came from and would use that knowledge to help support me in where I’m going. This semester, I’ve found those friendships in you. You may not completely understand the complete insanity of my hometown friends or how good a hamburger from my local burger place is, but you get the important stuff. You’ve listened to me tell my tales of heartbreak over, and over, and over. You’ve laughed along to inside jokes I have with my best friends from home that I’ve tried so desperately to explain to you. You’ve listened to me rant about texts I’ve received, Instagram posts that annoy me, and my complete and utter exhaustion.
I had a fear of surface level friendships. Friendships that started when we met and only looked forward, taking no consideration of the past. I was scared you wouldn’t want to know about my parents and the weird nicknames my best friends have for me, and my longstanding love for Taylor Swift. But you do.
Some of my favorite memories thus far have been jumping in your FaceTimes with your best friends, your mom, and your boyfriend. I’ve loved hearing about how you had your heart broken when you were 16 years old and used that to propel yourself forward. You’ve shared with me how God has been working in your life, and how you ended up here, at this college, in this dorm room. I’ve loved sharing our most embarrassing moments, our biggest dreams, our worst nightmares, and our secret hopes.
Thank you for giving me so much more than a superficial friendship. Thank you for caring about me, what makes my heart beat faster, and what makes my days a little brighter. Thank you for letting me into your life without hesitation. We’ve only been doing life together for a few months, and I already can’t wait to see where this journey takes us from here. You are already so much more than my “college” friends, and I can’t thank you enough for destroying that term so quickly. Here’s to us and many more late night gossiping-while-watching-Friends sessions.
With love,
Your new “college” friend
