It’s the same sad story: you’re in a relationship and one of you has to move. You don’t know what you'll do. You’re used to spending every day with each other whether it's going out to eat or to movie premieres. Binge-watching Netflix won’t be the same and don’t even get me started on the fact that you won’t be able to approve each other’s outfits anymore. That’s right, I’m talking about when you and your BFF have to separate.
*Pauses for a moment of silence*
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the last couple of years, it’s that the power of friendship is very strong. When I moved to good ol’ Austin, Texas for college in 2009, I thought I was going to have to make a whole new group of BFFs since all of mine were back in Dallas. In a way I did, but I quickly found out that my best friend from Dallas was still very much my best friend. I could call her whenever I needed her, whether it be for advice or just to talk when I was bored in between classes.
In the four years that I lived there, there were periods of time where we would go without speaking for months, but somehow when we called or saw each other, it was like we didn’t miss a beat. I thought, man, I really am stuck with this one (just kidding, if you’re reading this!). I didn’t think that I would make any other best friends that could survive the distance - boy, was I wrong!
Two of my roommates from Austin have managed to become the same way. I love going to visit them, it also helps they’re in my favorite city, and we frequently call, Snapchat and tag each other in posts on Facebook. We always manage to stay caught up in all the drama that is "Shondaland" and we always have an ear to lend when the other needs to rant about school, work or relationships.
I thought I was just lucky. I had found three true friends that could withstand the distance, that could call me and understand exactly what I needed to hear even though we probably hadn’t seen each other in months. Then I noticed, I’m not the only one. I witnessed the same thing with my sister when two of her best friends moved, literally, states away and they’ve managed to stay in touch this whole time. Not only that, but they frequently visit and plan vacations with each other.
It’s funny how when you hear long distance, you almost instantly think of a grimacing face, because let’s be real, long distance relationships don’t usually work out. Somehow, though, best friendships are the only relationships that seem to thrive in this type of environment. Maybe our best friends are the only ones who love us enough to go the distance, and our boyfriends are just too selfish to be without us. Who knows? But, this does sound reminiscent of a quote from one of my favorite shows, Sex and The City, “Maybe our girlfriends are our soulmates and guys are just people to have fun with.”
