This time last year, you were taking advantage of your friends' bounce house rentals and mingling with classmates (who are soon to be strangers) during graduation parties. You promised to keep in touch with friends. You cherished every last moment with your close friends as you reminisce high school memories wondering how you will survive school without them by your side. And then it hits you as you take it all in, the emotions rush through your body when it is the last time you will see your friends before everything changes.
Fast forward a year later. Okay, maybe that was a little too fast. The first year of college flew by, and in the blink of an eye, everything has changed. Your childhood best friend is engaged. You and your ex exchange awkward greetings, if you see them at all. And those promised let's keep in touches turn into mall talk when you run into each other at the store. Your Snapchat BFF list consists of friends you made in college who live several states away.
There's one thing that didn't change though. Just like last summer, you cherish every moment you have with your best friends. You realize that your time with them is precious and limited because some are busy with summer internships while some stay on campus do to summer school. You tell your best college stories as they share their most fascinating encounters. You reconnect instantly as if you didn't just go months without seeing them, but this doesn't necessarily mean that nothing's changed.
Your friends, like yourself, experienced a great amount of personal growth throughout the year allowing us to find our own individuality. This change can be something small such as a new clothing style, or a drastic change to where their personality is almost unrecognizable. However, you support each other no matter what. You started by worrying what you would do without seeing each other every single day to being excited for the different paths that everyone is taking. Unfortunately, some people change, but not for the better. However, while all the on-going change is happening, you must remember that these people are the ones that were there for you and helped you get to where you are today.
Everything changes. Accept those changes. Learn from those changes. Appreciate every memory that you are currently making with loved ones. Time travels faster then expected, so slow and down and really take it all in. Because in what will feel like a split second, the cycle will reset once you finish college.
