My Dearest Friends,

Let me start off by saying how incredibly proud I am of you. You have a full year of college under your belt! And when I say a full year, I mean a full year; you're a sorority sister, a singer, a hard-worker, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a leader, a believer, a traveler, and a doer. You have the ability to give so much to the world. Seeing you grow and mature this past year has been an awesome experience for me. I've loved getting to see the friends you've made and the new adventures you've had with them, even if it is only over text or social media. Hearing stories about your classes, your campus, and your professors give me so much joy, and truly makes me excited to see where life is going to take you!

As we prepare to go our separate ways once again, there are some things I want you to remember:

I am always, always here for you. I may not be right there, but I'm just a text and a phone call away. Whether you need to talk about boys, roommates, classes, or even just about your crazy-awesome-non-dining-hall breakfast that you made, I'm all ears. I know that we'll both get busy, that's just how college goes; sometimes we'll forget about our scheduled Skype calls, or a big event or exam will come up and we'll get lost in a sea of stress, but I'll still be here when you catch yourself and find your balance again.

One of the greatest things about our friendship is that no matter how far apart we are, we can always come back to each other like nothing has ever changed. I was so thankful for this summer and that we were able to have adventures together and have fun just like old times. I love that we can still relish in our high school days and relive our funniest moments together, laughing until we're in tears even though we've told the same stories a thousand times before.

While high school was full of fun times and lasting memories, it doesn't define who we are. And honestly, I'm so thankful for that. High school was a period of growth for all of us; we were freed from the awkward years of middle school and thrown into the slightly less awkward years of high school, where we could figure out what our interests were and build an (almost) entirely new group of friends. We survived heartbreaks and prom, discovered what it means to be a true friend, found confidence in our voices, and gave it our all right up until we walked across the stage at graduation. While we were all sad to leave our high school days behind, I think moving on made such a profound change in each of us and really showed us that there is a much bigger world out there just waiting to be explored.

Whether we're totally ready for it or not, life is happening. We're growing up and going places, leaving what we've always known for something that's entirely new and exciting and frightening. People always say that college is where you discover yourself, and I'm finding this to be true; we are figuring out who we are and who we want to be. In doing so, we're learning new things and shaping ourselves to fit into a different surrounding. Change is inevitable, but my love for you will stay the same. Just because we're moving on, doesn't mean that we're leaving each other behind.

My hope for you this year is that you continue to pursue things that are totally out of your norm. Keep pushing the boundaries of your comfort zone. Take every opportunity and make the most of it. Always be on the lookout for ways to broaden your horizons. It can be so easy to settle into school life after you finish your first year; people will find their friend groups and their niches and feel content with where they are, but I urge you not to let yourself settle. College is the absolute perfect time for you to figure out where your interests lie and what you love (or don't love). So take the time to have lunch with that professor, try out an intramural sport, sign up for that club, and take a salsa dancing class!

As much as I'm excited for you, I'm really going to miss you. You're my home and my people and my roots; a constant reminder that I'm surrounded by love even when I'm not with you. One thing that I hope you always know is that I'm happy for you and will be happy for you wherever you decide to go and whatever you decide to be. You're brilliant, brave, and passionate, and did I mention ambitious? You can do anything you set your mind to!

Here's to a year filled with possibility, confidence, and ceaseless curiosity.

All the best to you,

Your Ever-loving Friend