“Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.” - Muhammad Ali

Dear friends,

I feel like I have known you for several lifetimes when, in reality, it has only been a matter of months. We have been through so much together, things that one could only dream of: stumbling home in the early hours of the morning, cramming for tests, celebrating all the good and bad times, etcetera. When my mind wanders and stumbles across these fond memories, I am so aware of how lucky I am. There is nothing in this world that I would trade our time together for. You are the people, and these are the stories, that I will tell for the rest of my life. I'm not sure there will ever be adequate words to thank you for everything you have done, but I'm sure as hell going to try.

Thank you for teaching me to be open to every kind of personality. You have made me a more accepting individual. Never did I think I would be blessed to have friends of so many varying backgrounds and opinions. To my quiet friends: thank you for introducing me to nights in with Netflix and Chinese food. I lived for our nights of relaxation that were filled with talking and laughter. You have shown me how to truly appreciate the simple things in life and I know now I will always find the beauty in the little things. To my adventurous, social butterflies: thank you for pushing me outside of my comfort zone and exposing me to new experiences. I was never aware how much fun having a heart to heart while walking home at two in the morning could be until you showed me.

Thank you for loving me just as much in my worst moments as you did in my best ones. It was in these times I realized how lucky I am to have people who will stick with me through thick and thin. You are the kind of people that others dream of becoming friends with, and you are all mine. I honestly do not know how I got so lucky, but I will never question it.

Thank you for being by my side through everything. You are the people who held my hand through through three AM study sessions, miserable exams, bad professors, terrible breakups, and so much more. More importantly, though, you are the people who I went to when I wanted to celebrate getting a job/internship, a good test grade, or my birthday. You have supported me from the very first day we met and that is something I will never forget.

I know that some day, hopefully very far in the future, we may end up at grad schools or jobs in different area codes. However, distance means nothing when you are as connected as we are. I will be supporting you just as much from five hundred miles away as I was when you lived right next door. I can only hope you feel the same way as I do because, like it or not, you are stuck with me.

You have had such a profound impact on the person I am today. I would not be the person I am without all of you. This letter doesn't encapsulate half the amount of thank you's that I feel, but I promise to spend the rest of our lives expressing my gratitude. I love you all forever and a day and I can't wait to see what this crazy life has in store for us.

All my love,

your thankful friend