After graduating high school, I was ready for a new start, a new place with people I didn't know, and who didn't know me. Unfortunately, this experience wasn't everything I was expecting, and for awhile, that was hard for me to come to terms with.

I felt like I hadn't made any real friends or connected with anyone and every day grew more and more lonely. My social anxiety wasn't helping either. I wanted to talk to new people and make friends but the fear of rejection and my social awkwardness kept me from any interaction that made me uncomfortable.

Maybe the people I was talking to weren't for me and I needed to branch out and meet new people, but at a small college, everyone knows each other and it just seemed to not work out. It was hard and I was not coping with my failure and loneliness well.

But I was lucky, I found one person I resonated with. One person who means the absolute world to me that I can't imagine my life without. If it wasn't for her I wouldn't have made it as far as I have. She has made me a better person and has helped me through some of my darkest moment.

My hope for everyone is that they find a person like this, someone they can share anything with, who supports them through anything because I could not have been luckier. No amount of friends in the world could compare to having someone as special as she is to me. I know we will be friends forever.

So I didn't get the college experience I was hoping for, and I'm dealing with that the best that I can, but it wouldn't have been possible without having you by my side. No matter what, I wouldn't go back and change a thing.