I’ve had a lot of really good friends in this lifetime, but none have compared to you. We’ve gone from being best friends at three years old to watching each other at high school graduation and sobbing through the memories. Your family is my family, and mine, yours. I mean, I think I’ve gotten in more fights with your little sister than I have my own. But a little over a year ago, you told me it was official that you were going to go on a foreign exchange for a year.

At first, I was really jealous and excited for you to get such a freaking awesome opportunity. But then, I realized I was going to have to go about 12 months without possibly talking to you or seeing you, and that’s when I started to get scared – scared that our friendship was going to end. But it didn’t; the exact opposite happened.

You left home almost 10 months ago. I remember sitting in your room, helping you pack, and you saying to me, “I think I’m going to miss you the least.” And I kind of looked at you, like, “What the hell?” and you started to explain why. You told me that we survived literally everything. We used to be neighbors; then, we both moved. We went to different schools. We have had multiple fights where we wouldn’t speak to each other for months. And look where we are now! You basically told me that, hey, if we made it this far, we can make it forever.

And honestly, it’s pretty true. When I was in the elevator leaving your room, I wasn’t even really crying. Which, if you know me personally, crying is something I do on the regular. But now, I had just said goodbye to my best friend and my sister for the first time in 13 years, and I wasn’t crying. It’s because you gave me hope.

Fast forward 10 months until now. We have regular FaceTimes and tell each other everything. (I mean, everything.) You decided on going to Ohio State’s Honors College (O-H!), and you are living your life in Germany. You have more fun than any person I know, and your pictures are amazing. And honestly, I don’t miss you that much. Yeah, that sounds really harsh. But, I know you’re doing you right now, and you’re growing so much as a person, and I am so beyond proud of you for that. You’ve learned more about yourself in this one year than you would have if you spent another 10 years at home with us. And quite frankly, I think that’s awesome.

So, keep sending me the daily pictures, keep taking a week to text me back and keep having a blast. Make fun of me all you want on Twitter; I enjoy it.

But hey, come home soon, OK? I said I didn’t miss you that much.

My best friend's name is Lauren Schefsky, and she's on a foreign exchange from Pennsylvania to Beverungen, Germany. (Don't ask me how to say that. She's tried to teach me so many times. I just can't.) Anyway, here are some pictures from her many, many adventures there!