When I came to college, I left behind my three best friends. They all went in state while I drove 8+ hours to move in. I had met them starting my sophomore year of high school; one by one we met, connected and soon our group, which we now call the “Ghetto Garlic Breads,” developed. We created the weirdest nicknames for each other, as one can tell from the title of our group, along with endless inside jokes; we basically have created our own language over time.
Together we can look back on meme-worthy memories for years to come. Memories made with them have become some of my most cherished ones; whether we are eating chips and salsa at Chili’s while talking way too loud or watching creepy internet videos, it’s always a perfect day with them. When we are together it’s like the whole world stops, or maybe the world speeds up. The time we spend together goes by in a flash but in the moment, it seems as if it’ll last forever. Long drives packed in a small car are my favorite times, especially at night, because even if our destination is not a highlight, our time together is.
They came to visit me for their spring break in March and I found myself wedged in the backseat between my insanely loud and loving tribe; I couldn’t help but think how beautiful the world is. Street lights and headlights reflected off our wide-eyed gazes; laughter, inside jokes, and song lyrics were screamed out the open windows into the spring night. We exuded more love in this moment than we’ve received in our lifetime. There is beauty in our madness, even if others cannot see it.
This group of insanely wondrous (and hella queer) humans make me feel as if I could touch the stars if I try hard enough. We remind each other that we are young bad-ass individuals who can do anything we set our minds to; together we are unstoppable and we’re going to conquer the world one Chili’s at a time.