Dear Stranger,

I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss you. I do. I miss staying up texting you until one of us, usually you, fell asleep. I miss the way “quick” phone calls would turn into hour long affairs. I miss the way you looked at me with both confusion and amazement. I miss the way you sang in the car when you picked me up. I miss the way you’d throw your head back when you laughed at the nonsense I would say. Most of all, I miss the happiness that you brought me.

When I first met you, that September night, I knew we were going to have something different. After all, I knew I liked you when I asked you to dance down on the National Mall and you said yes, but I knew I was going to fall a lot faster than I wanted to when you began singing “Love is an Open Door” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. We are so in sync, we always have been. I mean it’s crazy, the way we finished each other’s...sandwiches. You’ve always seemed to know how I was feeling before I even told you, and you definitely know how to level me out. You’ve always brought things into perspective, and reminded me not to hurt myself when trying to save everyone else both emotionally and physically (reminiscent of the time I hurt myself lifting basketball players). I still remember how baffled you were as to why I would do such a stupid thing, but hey, that’s how things were, carpe diem. Try anything, right?

Even now, just sitting here trying to find the words to say to you, my person, is such a difficult feat. You have no idea how many times I’ve almost accidentally said, “I love you.” Last summer when you were teaching me how to sail, when we almost got caught in the rain, it nearly slipped out when you had to fix the jib because I rigged it up incorrectly. I almost told you I loved you that night when we went to the haunted museum and you jumped on my back in fear of the insanely talented vampire-actor who was chasing us. I almost said it when we were sitting on your couch watching sad music videos with your roommate. I almost told you I loved you the last time I saw you. When we were drinking tea on my bed and talking about our future children and the insanely beautiful life we would share. I almost told you I love you, and I think my biggest regret is that now I may not get the chance.

You’re gone now. You’re off doing things some people have only dreamed of and I’m still in Washington, D.C. studying to hopefully lead our country someday. You have a life of your own and I’m still piecing together who I am, taking every opportunity offered to me and living life like each day’s my last. Even with all of the deliciously beautiful chaos that makes up my days, I can’t help but miss you. Sure, there are dates here and there, parties, concerts, every distraction you could think of, but every night my thoughts and my heart lead me back to you. I can’t help but think about our connection. The chemistry that we have is electrifying. Thinking back to the first time I saw you in seven whole months this summer and the way I still got butterflies when you walked toward me (just like the first time that September night) gives me chills. Do you remember the last conversation we had? I still remember how we swore things weren’t ending because somehow we’d find our way back to each other and it would be the greatest love story ever lived. I still believe that, I really do.

I don’t know if I believe in soulmates, but I certainly believe in us. I believe that everyone has a person. The person who they can’t quite separate from because no matter what, the two always find their way back to each other. I believe that that person is the person you’ll always love to some degree and whether you end up together in the end or not, you’ll never be able to forget your person because they changed your life and made you fall in love, the right way. You are my person. You have always been my person since that first September night and no matter what happens, I’ll never stop loving you. We may grow up, we may never speak again, but just know that I’ll still love you. Maybe I won’t be in love with you, but I’ll love you, no doubt.

I guess now, the only thing to do is let you go and pray that God would take care of things. I’ve always been a firm believer that things work out the way that they are supposed to and I know you and I will too. I’m sorry for the ways I let you down. I’m sorry for the times I doubted how you cared for me. I’m sorry for not telling you that I love you. If you should ever read this, I hope you don’t see it as goodbye. I hope you see this as an invitation to open communication. I hope you see this as insight into how I’ve been feeling since the day I met you. I hope you know now why I said the things I said and did the things I did because the only lie I ever told you was remaining silent when I wanted to say I love you.

Keep doing what you’re doing, keep living your dream and I’ll continue pursuing mine and if some day we should find that our dreams lead us back to each other, just know that I’m here, not waiting, but still loving.

Best of luck,