Making friends in boarding school sucks. Let me explain. I loved meeting all the new students every year, and of course, I became friends with some of them. But it's terrible because now I have friends that live in different countries and different states. This is why it sucks to make friends in boarding school.
One of my very close friends lives in Finland. I became friends with her through a mutual friend because she and I were going on a school trip to scuba dive in the Bahamas together and we wanted to know someone before we left. We weren't too close before we went on the trip, but we ended up sitting at the back of the boat every night, talking for hours. That pretty much settled that, and we've been close ever since. We don't talk often, but when we do, its like we never stopped.
Another one of my close friends lives in Belgium. He and I also became friends through a mutual friend and are still close now. Of course, since he lives in Belgium, when I woke up to the news a few weeks ago about the attacks in Brussels, I was terrified. I had no idea if he was okay, how close he was to the attacks or anything. I knew that if something had happened to him, I would have no way of knowing because he lives so far away and he's the only person I talk to in Belgium.
One of my best friends lives in Florida. He and I became friends my sophomore year, because he was friends with my older brother. We talked every day, almost all day, and it didn't take long for us to become close. This May will be the three-year mark of us only talking over texts and phone calls. I haven't seen him since he graduated.
Another great friend lives in Georgia. He and I became friends mostly through the scuba diving trip. When you're stuck on a boat for ten days, you make friends. But we talked a lot after the trip and became even closer. I saw him at our high schools big hockey tournament a few years ago, and that's it. He graduated my sophomore year as well, and we've stayed in touch through texts and phone calls.
My best friend used to live in the town where our high school was. She'd moved there from North Carolina. We were close friends from the day we met and that hasn't changed. But, after I graduated, she moved again. This time, across the country. She lives in Colorado now and goes to school out there to improve her ski racing. I'm glad she got to go somewhere she loves, but I miss her.
The closest friend I made in high school also used to live in that town. She and I hated each other when we first met, but we soon became inseparable. Sadly, life has forced us to be separated; now for a longer time than we originally thought. Her family moved at the end of last year, after Thanksgiving break, to Tennessee. As happy as I am for them, it's weird. I can't go home from college and see her anymore.
I made two good friends from Australia in my senior year. I've kept in touch with them since I left. I visited them a few times throughout this year while I was home from college and they were in school. They both graduate this year, and then they leave. They've told me I'm always welcome to come visit them in Australia.
Everyone always tells me "It's so cool that you got to meet so many people from different countries!" But they don't understand how terrible it really is. If it was easier to buy a plane ticket to Finland, Belgium, Australia, or even any of the other states, I wouldn't mind that I made friends in different places. Except it's not that easy, and it's not cheap. I love that I have friends all around the world, but I hate it too. I miss them, and I can't just decide to go see them whenever I want to.
So yeah, making friends that live in different places is cool. I will admit that. But it would be cooler if I could go visit them, or if I could at least see them every once in a while, instead of being away from them for years at a time.
