I consider myself absolutely blessed that after two and a half years of college, my best friends from high school and I are as close as ever. While most of us go to different schools, we do our best to stay in close contact throughout each semester, and when we finally reunite for breaks, we act as though we've spent absolutely no time apart. Whether you have a huge group of home friends, or two or three close ones, it is wonderful to have people in your life who will always be there for you, regardless of the amount of time you've spent away from each other.

When my friends and I first left for college, we were terrified of leaving each other. For the first few months of school, we would talk constantly, updating each other on every single little aspect of our lives. Some of us had a hard time adjusting to school, and talking to people from home was the only relief from the homesickness and anxiety we were feeling. However, we helped each other move past these feelings. We helped each other accept, and eventually love, our new lives as college students. We were each other's cheerleaders, and we were there for each other every step of the way.

Gradually, we stopped feeling the need to chat 24/7 and give detailed updates on our lives. We all became extremely busy with classes, schoolwork, extracurriculars, and, of course, our own social lives, with the people whom we'd become close with at our school. We would, and still do, make time to talk to each other while we're apart, but our friendship is strong enough that we don't need to be in constant contact. We live our exciting college lives and tell each other about it later. And, when later comes, we hang out as though no time has passed at all.

This is not to say that nothing has changed when we're back at home. In high school, we were together in school every single day, and our weekends were dedicated almost exclusively to hanging out with each other. As college students, we all have different jobs, internships, and other obligations that take up much of our time during school breaks. Most of us are following completely different paths in life. However, we always make sure to pencil each other in as much as physically possible during these breaks, and when we are together, we get to take a break from our hectic, college-student lives and just enjoy each other’s company.

To be honest, my high school friends and I have no idea where life is going to take us. Life is going to begin to change drastically when we graduate from college and start our adult lives in just a few years. Eventually, we're not all going to be calling the same place home. It's very sad to think about, but it's just how life goes. However, I can say with confidence that we will remain friends, despite any distance that separates us. My high school friends mean the world to me because I know with my whole heart that no matter where we go in life, we will never stop cheering each other on.