Alex and I spent countless hours playing video games together and snuggling her lovable dog Maui (RIP). We were inseparable. Her family became close with mine and we even convinced my dad to take us to Disneyland together for our very own best friend vacation. Despite our strong bond in middle school, when I switched to a private school we stopped talking as much and hardly saw each other. I went back to the same school as her in high school but by that time our friend groups had changed and we didn't see much of each other. Second semester of our senior year of high school we ended up in a dance class together and by the end of the year show we had started to hang out again. We discovered that we would only be 20 minutes away from each other in college and couldn't have been happier.

Having a best friend so close but at a different school has been great because I can leave my school any time to visit her if I get sick of the people here or I need a mini-vacation in San Francisco. Bonding with her again has also allowed me to feel closer to home. Her sister Nicole happens to live with her and we have gotten closer, too. Having people I care so much about, people who make me feel like I'm home even when we are two hours away from home has been so important. It's why I've been able to stay focused in college and not miss out on college experiences by going home to visit my mom and sister all the time.

Alex has also brought new perspective into my life. Her family is very engaged with their heritage and so is mine. Being able to share our families' stories, food (I honestly don't know where I'd be without her mom's cooking), and traditions with each other has made college easier. It was so easy to jump into college already open to learning about new cultures through my time spent with Alex's family. Part of college is learning how you define yourself and sharing that with others. Growing up with Alex was always about sharing everything and reconnecting made it that much easier to continue my constant expression of self on and off campus.

Alex's sister has also become a good friend and has helped me to realize how important it is for me to be an advocate for people with mental health issues. Nicole is very passionate about her advocacy for mental health issues and it inspired me to learn more and become an advocate myself. This has also allowed me to bring this awareness to my campus and find a way to start a conversation about it here at my school. I even became part of the startup team for the developing non-profit organization NonjudgeMENTAL.

I have grown so much thanks to Alex and the rest of her family and they have played a huge role in my life. Having Alex there with me as I continue on my life's journey just feels natural and I am so happy to have her in my life. I encourage you to reach out to an old friend because it could change your life like it did for Alex and me.