With my first year of college coming to an end, I could not help but have these song lyrics stuck in my head. I did not expect that I would meet such fantastic friends in such a small period of time. In one year, I was closer with these people than with some people that I knew for years. Saying goodbye to them was going to be harder than I ever imagined. It had to be more than just giving a tight hug and saying “Have a good summer!” So, how do you say goodbye to your best friends?
Step One: The Last Supper
Throughout the school year, everyone was always racing from activity to activity. Whether it be classes, sports, extra curriculars - sometimes it felt hard to make time to see everyone. However, as much as we despise the food, the dining hall was always where we could meet up a few times a week to catch up. It was an unspoken rule that five to six o’clock was devoted to all who could meet up at the dining hall. Many laughs and good times were shared there. It was only fitting to have one final meal there with everyone. And this meant everyone. Even if you have to pull tables and chairs from across the room, you must all be determined to have one Last Supper together. It is one last time to talk about everything you have going on in your lives and everything that you planned on doing.
Step Two: Sleep when you’re dead
Who cares if we’re leaving tomorrow? We can pack in the morning. We have all summer to catch up on our sleep. But for now, while time is running short, it’s time to spend as much time as possible. Whether this entails a late night drive or playing Cards Against Humanity for hours on end, do whatever would perfectly sum up the year. Reminisce with each other; it happens almost naturally. We could not help but recall every story and memory shared over the entire year. All it takes is one person to starts a sentence with “Wait, remember when…” Before you know it, everyone laughing and shouting about all of the ridiculous stuff that went on throughout the year. Nostalgia is infectious.
Step Three: Why do I own so much stuff?
After a night of reminiscing and getting the bare minimum of sleep, the dreaded time has come. With parents pouring onto the campus, it could be difficult to find your friends behind the mountains of boxes. Embark with your friends on a journey of self-discovery as we answer the age-old question: how am I going to get everything home? It is always fun to dig through your friends’ rooms as they pack away everything. Make fun of them. Why do we need so much stuff? How many pairs of shoes does one person need? As you do, you cannot help but drop little hints about next year. Discussions about what to bring and what not to bring next year are already buzzing around. Just as important as it is to reminisce, it is also important to look ahead to the next school year. We do not want to rush the summer, but we have to remind each other in little ways that we are not saying goodbye for forever. There is still plenty of college left together.
Step Four: One Last Time
This is it. There is not much more to do now. The cars are packed, the rooms are emptied. Now is the time to say goodbye. However, it’s not like you are just starting now. You have been actually saying goodbye to them for a little while now. It is more than actually saying “goodbye.” We say goodbye by spending our last moments with them. We say goodbye by looking back on the amazing year that has just passed. We say goodbye by looking ahead to all of the good times that are ahead of us. When we look at our friends, it’s hard to actually say anything to them. However, the time we have already spent with them is enough. That is how you say goodbye.
