There are a lot of articles that talk about missing your long distance best friend when you’re at different colleges, but even that feeling doesn’t begin to help someone understand what it’s like to have your best friend live far away from you permanently. College is temporary; you're able to see each other on breaks, but when you truly have a long distance best friend who you might see once a year (if you’re lucky) that’s when it’s a real struggle.
You miss out on all of the things that the two of you had planned to do throughout high school. You missed homecomings together, your first/last school football games, prom, graduation, or something as simple as senior skip day. You miss going shopping on a whim together, and double dating. You miss going to midnight showings together, having fun pictures to post to Instagram, because now most of them will either be #throwbacks or sappy posts about how you miss each other so much you could cry. You miss out on the events that you were supposed to reminisce about together at high school reunions.
Although there are a few perks as you struggle to stay connected. You basically become a private investigator as you search all forms of social media to track down that cute guy in her science class just so you can approve of him. Since you live eight hours away from each other, liking the same guy is definitely not a problem. You don’t have to worry about gossiping about someone you go to school with and her telling. You don’t have to worry about who got their license first, because when you’re states away from each other does it really matter? The answer’s no.
One of the worst, but best parts of having a long distance best friend is seeing her make a new best friend. As you’re filled with joy that she’s found someone to fill your spot during your absence from each others lives, it also means they are becoming the friend you were supposed to be, but can’t. But you just want that new best friend know that you’re so happy she’s filling your spot, so your best friend doesn’t have to take on life’s challenges alone.
Although you miss out on some of the major moments of your life, and as you probably went through those moments with other “best friends”, you know that you’ll always have your long distance best friend to go tell about how the night went to. When you think you might seem annoying texting her all of the time, she’s actually really thankful for each text; even when it’s just an emoji. They’re thankful for every Instagram or Facebook post you make that you tag them in, because it becomes a simple reminder that you’re there.
Basically the struggles of having a long distance best friend suck, but your friendship will grow stronger, and the moments you get to re-connect and spend together will be the memories you’ll cherish in years to come. Miles are long, and are not afraid to test your friendship, but if you can overcome the miles, your friendship will be stronger and better because of it. Although I wish my best friend still lived fifteen minutes down the road, I wouldn’t trade having her as a long distance best friend, because although she’s further away; we’ve never been closer together.
