Everyone has a best friend in high school and college, but mine just so happens to have been both. A best friend is family, even when you want to strangle them in their sleep. They say blood is thicker than water, but my best friend is blood. So amongst the countless articles titled "Open Letter To My Best Friend", here is mine, because my best friend is awesome.

Dear best friend,

I'm usually the romantic one in our friendship, but that's okay because I know your eye rolls and witty comments are low-key expressions of love. I know you won't cry because what are feelings, but hopefully you and everyone else will know how great you are. Just don't let anyone steal you from me, because that's a hard no.

I know we don't talk a whole lot about our friendship aside from telling people that we are best friends, mainly because we aren't super emotional people. This year has definitely tested us both as individuals as well as best friends, and I think both have made us stronger together. Aside from being witty, we are both super protective of each other and for that, I hope you know I am obligated to punch anyone and everyone in the face who upsets you. I know you'd do the same for me too.

We are both incredibly independent anyway, but it's good to know we have each other's back. You're a lot stronger than me though, and that really inspires me. I know that some people are just naturally less emotional than others, but you try your best to keep your composure in most situations, and that to me takes a lot of strength. This year has taught me that you're not the perfect superhero person I sometimes thought you were, but rather just as human as me. You've taught me so many great things, and I hope I've taught you a few as well. We've experienced a lot of firsts together in our friendship, and I am truly excited to see where fate takes us next.

I want to thank you for not being embarrassed to be my best friend, because it gives me no greater joy than hearing a room full of people laughing at your jokes and thinking "Go best friend, that's my best friend". It's also really cool to have gone through all of our major life milestones with you, because we make an awesome team. We're partners in crime, maybe even literally, and that's the best kind of friend anyone could ask for. We're here to make stupid decisions together, and then regret them later on because that's life. But I wouldn't want to do life with anybody else, and I can't wait to grow old with you and terrorize people in the nursing home.

Here's to the rest of our lives, and our best-friendship- I love you.