College is a time for meeting new people and making friends, not losing them. Unfortunately, I lost some when I transferred schools and since my previous college is five hours from my current one, it is difficult to make the trip with all of the hustle and bustle going in our lives. Transferring to a new school is a very selfish decision one that required a lot of thoughts about money, school size, experience. That time in my life prompted this thought: "is the grass going to be greener on the other side?" I knew, in my heart, that I'd have a better overall experience, school wise and I also knew that I would make new friends. However, I promised myself that I couldn't forget the ones I had left.
The end of the school year approached and everyone was packing up and saying goodbye to their friends and teammates assuring them that they would hang out over the summer. They also mentioned how excited they were for the school year to follow. When I heard everyone talking about that upcoming school year I felt as though I was being punched in the stomach. I knew I would miss out. I felt like I had been kicked out of the university, never to be allowed back again. I knew I could come back whenever I wanted, but I knew it wouldn't be easy. I had to leave, for myself and for my future. As much as I wanted to deny it or talk about it, I knew I wasn't going back I remember looking at my friends and saying goodbye to them one by one and wondering when the next time would be that I would see them again or go out with them. I couldn't wait. I wondered if because I was leaving, they would want nothing to do with me. I was wrong, though and that is when I knew the friendships I'd made with these girls would be forever.
The fact is, as time goes on, our lives change and that also means that the people we are around will change too. When I left the friends that I'd made at my previous school, all I could hope for was that we would stay in touch and make the time to visit one another. It is more difficult than you think, though. There is something about the simpleness of friendships that exist when people are physically living near each other, going to the same school within the same environment that is comforting.
Sometimes, maintained relationships and friendships that are tainted by a long distance between each other are somehow stronger. Being apart is as much of a good thing as it is a bad thing. Physically being further away in person can be good for the very reason that it forces you to try harder to maintain a friendship, which takes time. But, when you are reunited, your time together is that much sweeter because you missed it that much more. Being far apart distance wise is a bad thing for obvious reasons. Your time together will always be limited, you do not know what is going on in their daily lives, and you are unaware of how other people around that person are acting and what exactly is going on.
Any one person in your life who you connected with, who made you happy, made you sad, cared about you, asked if you were OK, or reached out to you when you needed them or asked for you when they needed a friend are worth the extra effort. Whether it be calling each other, texting, or an e-mail, the people you lost are always worth reaching for. Maybe you will only have the past to discuss/relive or maybe you will have to ask them what is new in their lives, but it is worth the conversation because they are worth your time.
Although you may be in a new place, never forget about the people who cared for you, listened to you, had great times with you, and made an impact on your life. You may be surprised, but they probably miss you as much as you miss being around them.
The beauty of being reunited with my old roommates and teammates after a year of being apart was that we always "pick up right where we left off".
