I'd like to start this article by saying that I'm extremely thankful to live in an age in which daily communication over the course of seemingly infinite numbers of miles is made possible by the wonderful technology that almost everyone has at their fingertips.

Instead of waiting days or even weeks for handwritten letters as people did back in the old days, we can communicate by typing messages that reach our friends, family members, and other loved ones in an almost instantaneous fashion. Furthermore, if we're really feeling it, we can even make a call that allows us to see someone's face on screen, no matter how far away that they may be. The technological things that we have available to us are truly remarkable, and I'm pretty sure that a lot of people take them for granted, when really, we should know just how lucky that we really are.

I begin by mentioning these amazing forms of modern communication, because it is these methods and a few others that have truly allowed me to stay in touch with my group of hometown friends as we have all set foot into the world and gone our separate ways. Our group of friends truly wouldn't be the same without the gigantic iPhone group chat that we have, blowing up all of our phones on a daily basis. In hindsight of this crazy experience that we call the first semester of college (or the first few months of whatever it is that someone may do after graduating from high school), I have come to realize more than ever that I am truly grateful for the friendship that every single one of them provides me with.

Since I arrived at school, I have gone through many unexpected hardships. If I'm being quite honest, even though I have made new friends here at school, I would probably be lost without the guidance and constant support of my longtime friends from home. To make a long story short, I have gone through bouts of depression, anxiety, and overall, an identity crisis that I never expected to face upon my arrival at college. Throughout it all, they have been here for me day and night, and have never failed to accept and embrace what I am going through. They have truly shown me what it means to have each other's back through thick and thin, no matter how far away we may be in terms of distance.

I would trust them with my life (well, most of them, anyway...) if it came down to it, and I could not be more thankful for the kindness and closeness that they have all proven during this new and exciting time in our life. It is my belief that near or far, our group of friends will never be separated by heart or mind.