I have written and re-written this open letter to you so many times that the tips of my fingers hurt from typing so much. I have thought of how I would write this letter so often, but when it comes down to it, I feel like whatever I say isn’t enough. How do I write down how much you have helped me through the years or how much you really mean to me? It is insane to think of how much we have been through together and to think of the adventures that we haven’t even had yet. We have known each other since we were little sixth graders just looking for new friends to make in middle school, and we never knew at the time that we met that we would become life long friends.

You are a surrogate brother to me. You look after me when I do stupid shit, but it is only because you care. And much like a little sister, I annoy you, but it’s only because I love you and there are so many ways in which I wish I was more like you. Through everything, I have always admired your work ethic, your talent, and your way to always make people smile. There have been times where you have made me laugh so hard I almost pissed myself, but there were also times where you made me cry, but no matter what, you were there for me. You never failed to be right by my side whenever I said I needed you. I can not explain how comforting it was to feel like I really had someone who was there for me.

There are so many memories that I could delve into and describe in vivid details, but I feel like I would just end up being dumb and crying because I miss you. There are the countless beach trips that left us exhausted by the end of the day, and the time when we went to Great Adventure and did the Dare Devil Dive and I wouldn’t let go of you because I was so terrified. You told me to let go and hold my arms out like superman, and there were tears streaming down my cheeks because I was so scared, but I can’t recall a time that I felt more free than right there.

There was the time that we took my dog for a ride in the car to pick up your sister from work and we made him be George Washington as Right Hand Man blasted through your speakers. There were also the countless SanFrancisco adventures and nights where we stayed up playing Minecraft with Collin and Ethan. Also, speaking of Collin, there was the time during our very first winter break from college where you, Collin, and I went on an adventure to New York and you spilled water all over a woman and her kid who were sitting next to us because you wanted to dance to We Built This City. And I can never forget the time when I kissed you on my front porch because we were dumb little kids who wanted to try dating in middle school.

Sometimes you would make me mad, and I would want nothing more than to punch you in the face. Most of that was when we were in high school, but there are still those times where I have thought of stealing a car and driving down to Long Island just to kick your ass. I’m pretty sure that you’ve had those times as well, but no matter what, we have been there for one another. Every single time that we have had those moments, they have been because we know that the other person is better than whatever it is they are doing. We just want the best for one another because we care about one another.

Whether we are together in New Jersey or miles upon miles away while I am in Boston and you are in New York, we are always connected. We will always have the fact that we send each other shitty memes on a daily basis and the fact that your girlfriend are are going to get married because we can. We will always have the memories that we have shared no matter where you and I go in our lives, and I couldn’t be more thankful for that. I couldn’t be more thankful for the fact that I have a wonderful, nerdy, meme-loving, asshole as a surrogate brother.

(This took a lot of courage to post. It's from 2011 and that was in middle school territory which is never a place to visit)