Going into college, one of the first things adults tell you is generally something along the lines of “you will come across your best friends” or “the people you meet will be in your life forever.” After going through my first year, I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what they were all talking about. I met so many great people my first year and I even met my current best friend, but I never found that friend group that I knew I’d be a part of forever. I went through the summer and really only had a couple of people that I felt the need to go and visit and wondered what everyone else was so excited about. Little did I know, I’d find out before the end of fall semester.
It has been almost four years since I’ve felt a part of something so special and the only thing I have to say to these people is thank you. You found me when I needed you most. I sat in my dorm room binge watching "Gossip Girl" more often than I’d care to admit and ate way too many boxes of cheez-its for it to be considered snacking and not an actual meal. You saved me, and I am eternally grateful.
Our friendship may be new and exciting but I can’t help but feel like we’ve been friends for a lifetime. Sometimes I forget I just met you all a month or so ago and it makes me laugh because you are such an important part of my life. From random trips home to see your dogs to attempting to go ten minutes down the road and ending up in Staten Island or even the nightly dance parties and intermural games, the adventures are truly endless. You guys invited me into your group and have accepted all of my quirks and craziness and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of us.
I love sharing my love of movies with you. I love getting a notification that someone shared a tweet with me. I love that I got a FaceTime call as soon as I get home. I love that we can already lay on each other’s dorm floors and talk about feelings (even though they suck). I love that I had people to watch game 7 of the World Series with (and that you all had as much anxiety as I did going into extra innings). I love that I found people who share my love for Christmas and blasted music with me on November 1. I love having something that makes going home sound like a bad idea (sorry, Mom).
We’ve already planned our Spring Break trip, looked at baseball games and concerts we can go to over the summer and have even attempted to find a way to live together next school year. I can’t help but be enthusiastic about the future when I know I have friends for a lifetime. I know I’ll always have someone to turn to. I know I’ll always have someone to go to dinner with. I know I’ll always have a shoulder to cry on. I know I’ve found the people I want to keep around. I figured out what all of those people were talking about when they told me I’d find my forever friends, and now I know why they were so excited.
