The time has come. The time where everyone departs for college. This time should be a happy, exciting time for all the people moving onto bigger and better things. It's a time of celebration for all the amazing obstacles you have overcome. Not only is it all about the work you've completed along the way, it's a time to reminisce on your past couple of years and to really think about your friends and family.

I'm going to community college while everyone else moves away. All of my friends are moving away to a college, while I stay still in my hometown, without any of them. Although some of them may be as close as 25 minutes away from me, it still feels so far.

I've grown up with a majority of these kids, and we have been going to school together since kindergarten. The fact that now is the time to go our separate ways and start a new life is unreal. I feel like just yesterday our teacher was telling us to line up and get ready to go outside for recess. But no, it's time to line up and get ready to say goodbye to everyone.

I knew this day would come, and I knew it would be hard, I expected nothing less than puddles of tears day after day from myself. What makes it so hard is probably the fact of how close we all are. My friend group is one of a kind. We all have had an amazing senior year and such a fun summer. I'm sure not one of us would trade it for the world. Being surrounded by truly fantastic friends and all their awesome families makes it so hard to say goodbye.

I spend every waking moment with my friends. I can't go anywhere without them. If I didn't have my friends, I would sit in my house all day and do nothing, which I guess is what I'll be doing from now on. My friends are my backbone, they have supported me through thick and thin and have guided me this far. To think I can't just call up my best friend and say, "Hey, let's go to Taco Bell" or "hey, let's go get a coffee," is the worst part of it all.

You would think each goodbye would get easier and easier, but that's not the case. As each person leaves, and it's time to say goodbye, it actually gets harder. Knowing that after this person there's another one in a couple of days. When you have so little friends left you try and hold on as much as you can, and when it's time for them to go, it's like a punch in the gut. Watching the friend group get smaller and smaller each day is the worst thing in the world. It just makes you want everyone back.

If there's anything I could say to my friends it's thank you. Thank you for being nothing but incredible people to me. Thank you for making me laugh until my stomach is sore. Thank you for coming on silly little road trips with me. Thank you for crying with me. Thank you for always being down to get something to eat, even when it's at an unreasonable hour. Thank you for always wanting to have a girls night. Thank you for listening to the stupid things I always said. Thank you for supporting me with the crazy things I did. Thank you for being there with me when I needed you most. Thank you for giving criticism when needed. Thank you for being my number one fans.

Thank you for everything.

I know each and every one of my friends will kill it in college. They all have amazing potential and will truly go far in life. I can't wait to see my best friends in the future doing what they are destined to do and loving it. I wish nothing but the best of luck for all of these people as we go our separate ways. All I can really say is to never lose sight of who you are and always stay true to yourself, and the rest will follow. I love you.