To the friends I lost because of distance,

I am sorry that I didn’t always call or check in on you. Yet at the same time, we were moving in different directions and we are at different points in our lives. College is a whole new adventure, and I am sorry that I had to leave you at home while we both left our beloved states. Apologies may not mean much to you at this point, and the emotions between us might have deteriorated, but even though we aren’t close we are still old friends all the same. The laughs and the memories that we had shared throughout the many years in high school, sports, and other activities can never be forgotten, and you and those memories have been imprinted in my heart.

Distance does not always make the heart grow fonder, and college has shown me the epitome of that. In fact, it can make many people slowly drift away from our mindsets and own busy lives as we move on to different segments to leave old ones behind. Distance can be cut down and ended, that is true, but distance is more than just mileage; it also has to do with the heart. My friends that I have lost due to my busy life are never forgotten, because they were nothing but good to me. I cannot thank you enough, actually, because without the small time frame you were in my life, I would not be the exact same person I am today. But life has a funny way of working things out, where the miles may not be an issue, but the emotional attachment to an old friend might be lost away in the ever-changing sea of life. Of course, I’m still there if you ever need me. However, our emotional connection is lost and will take a lot to regain to become what we once were.

I miss you and our memories, but our lives have gone in opposite directions. Distance causes separation as well as fondness of the heart, yet still finds a way to make you appreciate what you had. The well-repeated saying of, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened," resonates with lost friends. Although I cannot go back in time to change how our close friendships became a little more detached, I am nothing but grateful that you graced my life at this ever-changing point. I have become an alumni, a veteran to one sport, said farewell to two others, and along with that I said farewell to friendships that I didn't even realize I was saying goodbye to. We are both changing even though it may not seem like it, and even though it's scary, we aren't even close to being young kids anymore. I know that we could have connected more than we did, with the numerous amounts of social media apps out there, yet our schedules just could never align quite right to have a conversation longer than a few days, and we could never get together for a lunch or hangout session.

Whenever I decide to come back to my small town in Maine, I always feel a bit out of place, like I don’t belong. I guess that is understandable, because nine out of the 12 months for the next three to seven years I’ll be away at a college before entering the adult world of my own. It’s scary realizing that the place I have called home for the past 19 years of my life is somewhere that I may not call home much longer, with the friends I’ve known since playing kickball on the concrete playground in elementary school that I traded in for some friends that live across America.

Although distance has made me both sad and happy, I am writing this letter to come to terms that at this point in my life, my whole world is changing, and friendships are just a small part of that. I am and will always be your friend, even if we don't speak for months on end. We may not speak often, but whenever life throws you a curve, I am always willing to help you out. Keep on creating memories and sharing laughs with others, because you never know when they'll be your last.

Abbie