Everyone has those friends. The friends that you spent years walking the halls and complaining about your homework with, but now barely talk to. I remember being told by my teachers in high school that you find out who your true friends are as you grow up and move into different phases of your life. I know that's a cliché saying, but it has a lot of truth to it. When you really think about it, there's probably a lot of people that you would have never built bonds and relationships with had you not been stuck in a building with them for seven hours a day.

After you leave high school, a lot of things change in your life. You likely live in a different town or state, potentially hours away from your old friends. As a result, you find yourself interacting with a variety people who likely have different perspectives than you and may even come from other cultures and backgrounds. This allows you to broaden your horizons and look at topics from different angles; you might even find yourself changing as a person, which is OK. Change is part of growing up and if you come from a small town like I do, it can be refreshing to be in a new environment and open yourself to people who were raised differently than you or share different political and religious views.

I grew up in Hayden, Alabama, which is a small town in the middle of nowhere. There isn't even a single stoplight in the town, that's how small it is. While small towns like Hayden offer a wonderful sense of community, most people have similar perspectives on society, politics, and religion among other things. For some people, that works and they will continue to pass down their beliefs to their children and grandchildren, which is fine. However, I wanted more than that, and I got it once I came to college. I found myself surrounded by people who came from different environments and towns with stoplights! I learned that not every person was raised a Southern Baptist and used the term "ain't." I learned more about who I am and the beliefs and values that matter most to me in my first semester of college than I did in the 18 years of life leading up to that time.

OK, great. So now you know that I lived in a small town that probably doesn't sound super appealing and was somewhat sheltered culturally as a result. But what does that have to do with high school friends? Like I said, everyone has old friends who they have lost touch with as a result of growing up. In my case, that happened with just about all of my friends, not just a few. Coming to the University of Alabama exposed me to so many new things and made me truly realize how much diversity is out there in terms of personalities, perspectives, and opportunities. After that exposure, it became difficult for me to relate to my old friends who weren't having the same experiences as me, lived hours away, and were content with the lives they had. I didn't begin to lose these relationships because I stopped liking them as people, we just began going in our separate directions.

While there are certainly times that I reminisce the "good ole days" with my high school friends, I realize that the advice my teachers preached to me is true. At the same time, I have a great appreciation for the friends that I still see and keep in regular contact with because those are friends that I will likely have for life. You may find yourself upset at times that college and growing up has separated you from people you once considered invaluable. But it's OK. It happens to everyone and it may just be a sign that you're growing up, discovering new things about yourself, and meeting people who are furthering your growth as a person.