Hi Friend,

I knew seeing you once a month, sometimes even once every three or four months, would not be easy. In fact, it's one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. Of course, we have Snapchat, texting, and Facetime—so it feels like I get to see you a lot—but we both know it’s not the same. Thank goodness I have my cork board full of pictures of us laughing and going on all sorts of adventures over the summer and in our years when we actually went to school together. But going away and not being a part of your everyday life is something I will never get used to. Not being able to hug you and eat ice cream when a stupid boy breaks your heart, or being able to scream and sing our stress away in the car when schoolwork piles up are all things I would give anything to go back to.

We knew walking across the graduation stage that this was the start of the most exciting time of our lives, but we also knew the inevitable, heartbreaking goodbye that was to come.

This time of exciting new adventures with new friends in an environment that is bigger and full of more opportunities than we have ever seen is definitely a time that to be enjoyed, but I cannot help but to think of you and to miss the times that we shared together. I learned so many things from you, as I hope you learned a lot from me in return. I never expected to find a friend like you, but I am so thankful that I did. The distance is not necessarily bad, although it is hard. Friends are pitted against distance all the time, and making it through will make our bond stronger than it already is. Seeing you over holidays and various weekend trips to each other will make reunion hugs even sweeter, laughs even louder, and I will always appreciate the time we are given to share together.

Make sure you think of me, as I will think of you, whenever you pass our old high school parking lot, track, and even the Dunkin’ Donut’s we always walked to, rain or shine. Laugh when you think about how we lived like college boys on the cape for a week—or how we pitched a tent in your backyard one night just to switch things up—and all the other weird and random things that we did, spur-of-the-moment. These are memories I will always cherish.

Our car ride jam sessions, concerts, coffee runs, and nights watching terrible movies we find are far from over, and the distance has done nothing but make me appreciate that, and you, more than ever before. Thank you for the memories we have shared, the future memories to come, and most importantly, being my best friend through it all.