I can remember the day I left for college like it was yesterday—but really it was two and a half years ago. As I stood in my driveway, I looked at the car that was packed full of every piece of clothing, school supplies, and living essentials I needed for my new beginning. I knew that the moment I opened the trunk when I arrived at college, it would all come tumbling out on the street, and would mark my entrance and the start of my new journey. I felt so vulnerable, scared, fragile, kind of excited, but above all, nervous for what was to come.
I met an overwhelming amount of people of all ages that came from different places. So many people had told me that I would meet my best friends in college and that it was going to be the best time of my life. All I could do was hope that they were right. And it turned out they were. As time quickly passed, I began to develop strong friendships with girls that soon came to be my best friends and my partners-in-crime. We bounced around from each other’s dorm rooms to get ready to go out on the weekends, had movie nights during the week, or the midday vent session about classes, tests, boys and anything in between. But this was just the surface and beginning of it all. Two-and-a-half years later, here we are still.
Our schedules soon revolved around each others. We would plan when to go workout, eat dinner, and study. We were attached at the hip and we experienced every high and low together. We celebrated every test grade, regardless if it was an A or an F. We laughed and cried together as we experienced an overwhelming amount of stress, confusion and independence that came with our new life as a college student. We told our secrets and embarrassing moments knowing that no one would judge each other no matter what. We took on the “Freshmen 15” together and took it off. Between us we had the strongest support system, therapy group, bad influences, and friendship bond that we knew would carry us through the rest of our college years, and the years after that.
No matter what challenge, stress, mistake, boy, class, professor, high or low any of us faced, we faced it together. I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without the support, love, and strength of our friendships. For every moment I didn’t believe in myself, you believed in me. For every time I wanted to quit, you told me to not give up. For every pizza we ordered, we finished together. If we ever were in a fight or argument for whatever reason, it didn’t last long—probably because we realized that we needed each other, and who else were we supposed to binge eat Doritos with?
You are my college family, and I couldn’t do college without you. I owe it all to you for keeping me alive throughout it all. You are the first ones to hear about what grade I got on my finals, my never-ending boy drama, or how my Doctors appointment went. I am so thankful for technology that gave us group messages, Snapchat, and Facetime to stay connected every moment that we aren’t together. Thank you for the crazy adventures, the nights that turned into mornings, the lazy Sundays that revolved around what TV show to binge watch on Netflix, and what drive thru fast food restaurant to go to.
I love you all to the moon and beyond!
