Dear New College Friends,

We’ve been through a lot together. We lived together for just around eight months, and I already feel like we couldn’t get any closer. We’ve seen each other’s good days where we go on day adventures and night adventure having the time of our lives. But we’ve also seen each other’s bad days where we’re on edge about exams or crying our eyes out about who knows what. We have taken care of each other when we’ve been sick, drunk, high or just lost in life.

Right now, it’s summer vacation, and it is absolutely bizarre to not have you just down the hall or only five minutes away. It’s so strange to not be able to just text you and ask if you wanna go get something to eat or watch a movie. My friends here at home are probably so annoyed about how I keep telling stories about the wild things we did, or just my babbling on and on about how much I miss you. Sure we can text but right now, summer jobs and trips are interfering with our usual 24/7 on call friendship. But I cannot wait until move-in day. We will hug for a solid five minutes. Then we’ll help each other move in and decorate our rooms. Then have a group dinner, and probably go back to someone’s room to just talk and talk for hours about summer and about how much we would have rather spent it with each other. Even though if we spent a second longer together, we would probably kill each other.

Even though I love my friends from home and I have a history with them, and have equally bored you with stories about them as I have about you, it’s so refreshing to have you guys around. What I mean by that is, yes, I’ll always have what I have with my friends from home, but to get these new friends who are in the same place I am, mentally and physically, who accept me just as my old friends do, is amazing.

I am not quite sure how I would have gotten through my first year of college without you. You all supported my decisions and were completely honest when I needed you to be. There were so many times I could never thank you enough for the unwavering support system you guys unconditionally gave me. Sure, we had our moments and disagreements and maybe even some drama and arguments. But in the end we were there for each during one of the biggest transitions young people can go through.

So, thank you for giving me reality checks and snacks when I needed them the most. Thank you for coloring with me at absurd hours and checking in on me. Thank you for watching Disney movies with me, putting up with my indecisive brain and providing a friendship I really hope lasts us all a lifetime. College brought us together, and I feel so grateful that it has.