"The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves. We become like our friends. No man becomes great on his own. No woman becomes great on her own. The people around them help to make them great."

This Thanksgiving break I was most excited to be home for nine whole days with no classes, no assignments, no internships, work, and just no responsibilities in general. I was ready to binge watch Friends until my eyes hurt and spend Thanksgiving stuffing my face with homemade noodles and napping.

Last night I spent time with my best friends from home. My three best girlfriends and I spent the night reminiscing on high school memories, drinking bottle after bottle of wine, and realizing just how old we've really gotten. This was when I realized that this Thanksgiving I'm most thankful for my Forever Friends.

Everyone has their Filler Friends (see next article) or better known as the friends you hang out with when your real friends are busy, but then you have your Forever Friends, better known as your "people". The people you've known since you were little, the people who know every embarrassing photo, every embarrassing memory, and every quirk of your personality. The people who would actually wake up at 3 A.M. to come get your drunk a$$ from downtown, help you jump your car in a Mexican restaurant parking lot, and travel hours just to come hang for one night.

This Thanksgiving I realized just how thankful I really am for my three forever friends. They are my biggest supporters, my best influences, and my closest confidants. The only people I would trust with my deepest secrets, trust with my ugliest snap chats, and trust to get me home safely after having way too many "lemonade shakeups" at the state fair.

Their friendships to me are one of the most important things in my life. I know they will be the ones I will never lose contact with. The ones who will stand by my side through all the good times in my life: when I get married, when I find my dream job, when I have children, and the ones who will stand by my side through all the bad times: a bad break up, when I get fired, when I can't afford anything but easy mac for dinner. I know they will be right by my side with a $10 bottle of Barefoot and a Redbox ready to cuddle and eat easy mac until we pass out.

Their friendships have helped me become the women I am today. These three wonderful women have taught me so many life qualities like: trust, loyalty, true beauty, hard work, strength, confidence, and self-esteem. They have shaped me into the person I am today probably more than they realize and I love them for it more than they will every know. They have helped me raise my standards for life and for myself. If anything I strive to possess more qualities like my three forever friends everyday. They give me a sense of purpose and challenge me to get out of my comfort zone. They are the women who will help me one day become great.

I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for my "people" who have given me a heart full of joy, picked me up when I needed it, supported me when I felt I couldn't stand, and gave me a fresh perspective to face another day.

We all need people in our lives who raise our standards, remind us of our essential purpose, and challenge us.

So here's to my Forever Friends, you help me be the-best-version-of-myself, I am Forever Thankful for you.