As I begin to pack my bags during finals, the excitement cannot be contained to get back to my small but cozy shore house on the barrier island of the Jersey Shore. It’s like waking up on Christmas morning, driving with the roof down, knowing I will see my best friends in only 90 minutes. Separation anxiety was in full effect while being at school, and nothing can cure my excitement like knowing I have an unforgettable three months ahead of me. Each summer keeps getting better as the years pass, but soon after college, this will all come to an end. Having a shore house has brought me the most incredible people I have ever been so blessed to meet. These 16 humans inspire me every day and living without them during the school is the only reason I look forward to finals in May.

Living away from my high school friends every summer really gave me a new perspective on life. There are so many different people from cultures and backgrounds I have never had the opportunity to experience and was not able to learn from them. Without boyfriends and girlfriends to divide their time, I got to experience their true selves. It was all about friends 24/7. These are the people I tell everything to, share my best and worst moments with, and each of them bring out a different part of me. I treasure all the times we drove 30 minutes for Starbucks coffee, 7 a.m. wake-ups from them banging on my door, boating to secret coves, watching the sunrise the last morning of summer together, and all the nights in between. I never knew soul mates existed until I got to bond and connect with each one of them.

No one really understands the true meaning of why we say having a shore house is so amazing. I always tell people, it is not the beach, view, weather, or any of that. It is the people and the memories that I have created with them. These memories I will carry with me through the rest of my life, while the girls are standing as my bridesmaids, and while our children are playing on the beach and having the opportunity to live the life we once did. I am such a spoiled girl, and not for having a shore house, not for having one or two friends, but for having 16 incredible people that I can share my entire life with, and would give up anything to have it like this forever. Growing up is not fun, and while I am saddened by the fact that I will not be spending every second of summer at the Jersey Shore, I know our friendship is strong enough to last a lifetime. I wish for everyone to have at least one best friend that can compare to mine and find comfort in a place that is your “home away from home”. It doesn’t matter about the location or how you meet your soul mates, what matters are the relationships and memories built with them. Just remember, spend time with people who make you feel the way you feel when your food is coming in a restaurant.