One of the things that I found myself thinking about the most, in regards to moving away to college, was that fact that I would no longer be in the same state as any of my closest friends, and this was going to be something very new to me. I lived in the same town my whole life and went to school with most of the same people all the way up through senior year. I could not have been more excited to start a new life in a new city at my dream school, but I knew that there was going to be a part of my life that could never be replaced. The times I spent with my closest friends, whether I'd known them since kindergarten or just for the four years of high school, were some of the best times of my life because I felt completely comfortable with these people. Just being in their presence never failed to brighten my day. I knew that the change was not going to be easy to deal with, but I was never scared that we'd lose touch.

Since we've moved away, we've made new friends and become involved in a whole other world that no college counseling meeting could have prepared us for. There is no doubt that we've changed as a result of the new people we're involved with and the new area that surrounds us. We've had good times and bad times, but never have I been scared of us leaving each other behind. We may not text every day, but when we do, it feels just as casual and comfortable as ever, and I am beyond thankful for that.

The support that I get from my best friends is invaluable, and I truly wish them the best as well. Every time we speak or get together when we're back home, it feels like picking up exactly where we left off. To me, that's what friendship is. It doesn't matter that some of us a are a long car or plane ride away from each other. I am beyond proud of us having come so far in what feels like such a short time. We are making new people out of ourselves, but that's okay because we've always been there when we needed each other, and that is not going to change anytime soon.