It’s been a month since I’ve been back in school. While I was home for winter break, I had the opportunity to catch up with some of my high school friends. It’s crazy to think about the different paths that we have all taken. Obviously, I don’t see them every day and I don’t know who is in their circle of friends anymore. Our lives consist of different campuses and classes. These differences aren’t necessarily bad; things have just changed. As we all continue to grow up, it is so nice to come back to those people who knew you before you knew yourself.

Take a second and think about who you were back then. I am not sure what comes to your mind, but I have a hard time recognizing my high school self. As I have said before, college has been such a time of growth for me. It has forced me to be self- sufficient and it has allowed me to formulate my own opinions. I am (slowly) on my way to becoming the person that I am supposed to be. In contrast, the high school me played by the rules and did what was expected. Again, that is not written to be taken negatively, but I have certainly evolved as a person.

I see a lot of the same change in my high school friends. I had the pleasure of having breakfast with someone who was and is very close to me. After a few snapchats and “I miss you” texts over the months, it was so wonderful to sit down and talk in person. Since a significant amount of time had passed, I knew that it would be close to impossible to recap everything. The inability to do so is probably one of the hardest aspects of a long- distance friendship Yet, we fell into easy conversation as if I had seen her last week. Through this conversation, I was able to listen and appreciate what we have both accomplished thus far. Additionally, it brought me great comfort to know that we could pick up where we had left off.

One of the greatest things about high school friendships is the ability to reminisce. Spending 8 hours a day in school allows plenty of time for priceless memories. Outside of prom and football games, inside jokes were brought up. Believe it or not, they are still just as stupid and funny. Honestly, there is something so innocent and genuine to think about simpler times. Textbooks were free in high school after all. Do you remember going to Moe’s every Monday of your senior year? I do.

In a world that is constantly changing, remember those who still care for you after all of this time. Whether you have 2 or 20 people that you were close to in high school, remember that their friendship is still important, even in college. They will be there for you when you come home and they will understand where you come from.