Dear all of my friends that I truly love and look up to,

Living the most hectic eighteen years of my life, moving from one country to another numerous times, the next big change that I am faced with seems to be the most thrilling of all-- I am finally off to college. Although I am looking forward to that fun campus life we all dream of, I'm still having a hard time leaving the bittersweet memories behind.

Recently, I've been thinking about you and the memories we built together, a lot. As I look back on the good old days, I realize how much you influenced and completed me. Whether it be talking to each other every morning outside the school theater, obsessing over our last AP government midterm, playing in the school orchestra, choreographing in dance class, teasing each other in maths, or laughing at my accent, you filled my everyday with some small but truly amazing things, so I could always look forward to the next day to come.

Thank you for making me realize that friends are there for me, not only when I'm feeling good but also when I'm feeling down. This may sound very cliché, but there are times when I feel down and I don't realize that there ARE people around me whom I can trust.

Thank you for teaching me how to love and to be loved-- your compassion has taught me that love isn't just give and take.

Thank you for being you. Your unique personality has made me smile, laugh, and most importantly, enjoy life the way it is.

Thank you for accepting me with open arms. Friendship is a two way street and without your effort and time, I would not have been able to cross paths with you or be the person I am today.

Thank you for all the wonderful memories-- the late-night feelings talk, the bonfire at the beach (that we never actually did because we couldn't find an empty pit), the night at the movies, the end-of-year party, the never-ending group chat notifications, the birthday parties, and of course, the classes we had together that we never actually paid that much attention to.

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "many people will walk in and out of your life, but true friends leave footprints in your heart." Although we are now heading towards different directions, different goals, different schools meeting different people, and may not be able to contact each other as much as we do now, I will still value our friendship more than anything else.

I am extremely lucky to have you as my friend, a friend anyone could ask for. Thank you for being part of my life, friend. Keep being you!

Lots of love,

Me