Dear People In My Life Who Keep In Touch,

Thank you. I appreciate it far more than you could ever imagine.

To my friends, thank you for always being there for me, and thank you for not letting distance tell our relationships goodbye. We may be far apart now, but you have no idea how much I enjoy our little text messages, funny pictures, and long FaceTime conversations that make it seem like we really are together. I love hearing your voice and knowing that in reality you're really not that far away and you're not as far away as you could be. I may take forever to respond and I may forget to text back, but thank you for sticking with me no matter what and reminding me that friends don't have to be at the same school or go to the same place to have the best kind of friendship there is. Love 'ya bunches!

To my relatives, thank you for checking in once in a while. I love knowing that you haven't forgotten about me- I know you really wouldn't, but it is comforting to know that you are thinking of me even though I'm so far away from all of you. Thank you for your prayers. I have felt God in my life more than I ever have before — away from my home church, away from the school where I found my faith, and away from the people who taught me His Word. Instead of trying to find Him through the godly people I've looked up to, I am beginning to learn to depend on Him for the wisdom and guidance I need for each day. I feel so blessed, and every day I am overwhelmed with a beautiful, subtle happiness that I know is from God. It means a lot to know that you are praying for me as I am here, and I hope to see you all soon!

To those that send me mail, thank you (insert huge grin)! Mom always used to tell me that getting mail as an adult is scary because "mail equals bills," but as an "adult" in college, getting mail has been awesome, and it has been so special! The cards and notes are so much fun for me to read, and I love hearing from you and knowing that all is well back home! I really appreciate it!

To my family, thank you for keeping me up-to-date with everything happening at home. I feel like I am on another planet right now, but every time I talk to you I feel myself set foot on earth again even if it's only for a little while. I miss seeing you every day — FaceTime sure is nice, but it can't replace seeing your faces for real and hearing your voices in person rather than being misconfigured through the phone. I miss our "goodnights" and our "I love you's" before bed, and I miss telling you all of the good, bad, awkward, awesome, and embarrassing moments I have every day. One phone call would not be able to cover everything I want to say! I miss you all a ton, and I love you all so much.

Thank you to everyone who keeps in touch with me. You help me remember that home isn't so far away. I am so grateful for your continued support and encouragement in this adventure called college and this journey called life, and it means the world to me. I can't wait to see you all, and I hope that it is soon.

Love,

Me