To all of the wonderful people I had to say goodbye to:

They say you can overcome your environment when you have the right people in your life, that people can make a place. And I don't disagree.

The best memories I have from my university experience aren't of things I accomplished or adventures I had on my own. They're of times spent with the people who came to me in my times of struggle, people who stuck around when things got hard, people who taught me what it means to be a true friend.

Things are easy when you live in the same building or right down the street from your friends. You get closer than you could ever have imagined. You can pop over in the middle of the night if you just need to cry. You can grab dinner without it being a hassle. And you always have a place to stay if your roommate is...up to something.

The people I found were the only thing I had left before I decided to leave my university. They were holding me together, making sure all the tape and glue I had applied myself was doing its job. I cannot thank enough the people who gave me the space I needed to find myself, and who were right there waiting as soon as I had it all figured out.

My people did make the place. But sometimes, when you can't be enough for yourself, the people around you can't be enough to keep you there. Truly, that does come with some guilt. I thought I was deserting people, that people were depending on me to stick around, to be the friend they needed, to be there when they graduated, to finish out the things I started.

But I knew that my people were the right people when they repeatedly told me how proud they were that I was taking this step for myself. Friendship isn't meeting up at the frat house on a Friday night or saving someone a seat in class. Friendship is building people up when they make the hard decisions. And that's how i know my friendships will stay strong, even though I'm in a different place.

My people didn't question me. They know me better than I know myself. They knew I wasn't happy. They knew I needed change. And I can't thank them enough for that.

Hope your couches are ready. Because you know I'll be sleeping on them on the weekends.

All my love,

The friend who transferred but still holds you so close to her heart