This past year has been a whirlwind of change for me. Last summer, I made the decision to switch schools from a 2,000 student public school to a 200 student charter school for my senior year. I had my heart set on attending a large university in a booming city, but ended up at a small school in a quaint city. Towards the end of my senior year, I started a group message with some of my friends from my old school, but little did I know that this change would be so impactful. Erin, Kasey and Haley, here's to you!

Three things my best friends have taught me:

1. We each have our own distinct personalities, but that's why we work

We have lots in common: we love English and literature; we love watching movies and eating popcorn; we are all Christians; we all love a good laugh. But, we are also very different.

Erin: Erin is the vintage '40s queen. She loves Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner and Marilyn Monroe. She is a romantic, and loves sappy movies. She also really loves the '80s. And she is cute and quirky in her own way (This is the girl who tomorrow is pretending to live in the '80s by only using '80s slang, watching '80s shows and not using anything that wasn't around back then.)

Kasey: Kasey is the Jane Austen, Star Wars obsessed a-dork-able little nerd. She is eccentric and goofy. She can quote novels like nobody's business. She was one of my first friends when I moved here in second grade. I will never forget her eighth birthday when we dressed up as characters from Peter Pan and wacked Captain Hook (aka her dad) with foam swords. She is unique, nerdy and always loud, but that's why we love her.

Haley: Haley is the queen of sass. She loves to boss us around and give great fashion advice. She makes us listen to rap music and knows that a black t-shirt goes with anything. She is girly, but tough. Oh, and did I mention sassy? But underneath that sass is someone who would do anything for her friends. She is quite when you first meet, but then you can't get her to shut up ;)

Me: I'm the "hippie" of the group. I love flowers and flowy dresses. I love to send hilarious memes and ugly Snapchats to my friends. I try to make peace in the group when the rare conflict arises, but they also know that I will stand up for what I believe in, and I will stand up for them.

2. Our differences allow us to grow

We are all similar, but very different. Thank you for embracing our differences and being open to each other's opinions. We do not always agree on politics, pizza toppings, or which movie to watch, but we manage to work it out in the end. This is a great skill to have in life and it will allow us to get along with all kinds of people in the future.

3. Our friendship truly can survive despite distance

When people leave for college, losing their high school friends tends to be a fear. Most people won't stay in contact with their high school friends once they all go their separate ways. Since I went to a different school than my friends this year, I know that we can make a long distance friendship work. While one of us will be at App, I at Catawba, and the other two at Meredith, I know that we will still text in our group chat and we will still visit. My best friends were able to come to my graduation, and I to theirs. We went to the beach together this summer and had sleepovers. While we won't all be in the same town, I know that The Sisterhood will still remain.

So, to Erin, Kasey and Haley. Thank you for being my best friends, despite the different schools we attended, showing me that our friendship can withstand the distance. Thank you for texting me everyday at lunch so that I wouldn't be alone. Thank you for #flirtycat and for the endless laughs. Thank you for being uniquely you because I wouldn't want it any other way. So as we leave for college this week and next, I hope we don't forget the giggles we had until 3am, the bff photo shoot we had, or the fabulous night we had on graduation. I hope you all know how much I love you and that even though we will change and grow into different people, you'll always be my sisters and my friends. Because "I'll be there for you, cause you're there for me too."