Next semester really isn’t going to be the same. While many of my friends are staying at school, so many of my favorite people are also going to various different countries around the world. As a person staying in the United States, I want to congratulate all of my friends who are leaving, but I sort of also want to tell them, “Wait, don’t go!!!” So to all of my favorite people who I won’t be seeing come January, this is what I have to say:

I hope you go and have the most incredible time in a new and foreign place. I hope you get to do everything you wanted and I hope you have the most positive experience with each adventure that comes your way. I hope you travel during the day, dance all night, and meet new people every single place you go. You better take pictures, and you better FaceTime me every time you’re bored because chances are I will be on the other side of the country a little more bored than you.

Know that I am going to miss you so much! I will think about you all the time and I will be with you in spirit. If you are having a hard time or you’re feeling a little homesick, give me a call. I will always want to talk and I will always help you if you’re feeling down, but I will also remind you that you’re doing something that so many people will never get to do. Being in a foreign country can be hard, and the culture shock is difficult to cope with sometimes, but just remember that I will be here, surrounded by cornfields, for yet another semester.

I know you will be successful in every endeavor you encounter, and I hope you put your full enthusiasm into everything you do. Whether you’re going to Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, or any of the various places you are going, I know you will take each day as a blessing and learn about the different cultures around you.

While the education aspect of your trip is obviously important, don’t take it too seriously. If you’re stressed about a class, remember where you are. If your friends are going to a new fun place at night to dance and enjoy themselves, go out and dance and enjoy yourself with them too. While it’s cliché, it really is true that you won’t remember the nights you stayed in and did your homework, but you could make some of the most memorable nights by going and having fun with your friends. Live freely, and don’t make life too complicated.

Last, but not least, please eat enough food for the both of us. Do not, in any way, hold yourself back from enjoying the amazing food you are going to be offered abroad. If you gain some weight, who really actually cares? And at the end of the day, it won’t matter because you got to enjoy yourself to the fullest.

Go have an amazing trip and when you come back next fall and we are all together again, let’s kill it for senior year. I am looking forward to that more than anything, and we are only going to enjoy being with each other that much more!