Up until last year, I wasn’t sure what it felt like to miss someone. Of course, I missed my grandparents and other family members that lived states away, but missing people you’re used to seeing everyday is a whole 'nother story.

I grew up in a small ski town in Colorado and was lucky enough to see friends and locals from town practically everyday. Then, somehow, I’m still not quite sure how, I ended up going to college in New York City. I knew the population difference would be shocking at first, but I didn’t expect to be in shock from how much I missed my friends and family back home.

It took me a couple months to realize it, but I eventually figured out that I missed my mom...a lot. But, of course, I didn’t want to tell her because I was a tough-as-nails college kid now, right? I’m pretty sure I told my cat I missed him before I said it to my mom...oops. I kept up the charade for a few months during my first semester, and then finally allowed these sappy feelings to go public. Once I told my mom, I felt a lot better, like a full human being with real human feelings. It felt good. Therefore, this is why I believe it is good to miss someone every now and then.

An important thing to know about me is that I absolutely hate getting sucked into a routine. High school was torture because of the seven scheduled classes I was expected to attend everyday. Obviously, I have a set class schedule in college as well, but living in the crazy Big Apple never fails to throw new, random, exciting people my way. It’s nice to create a new daily routine and add new people to it. Trust me, I’m not saying we should all dump out our friends and exchange them for new ones, but if I experience the same thing everyday, I get stir crazy. In spite of my initial hatred, I discovered routines are a necessary evil and shouldn’t stop us from shaking up our lives when we get stuck.

During my first semester, I missed my friends back home so much that it postponed my search for new ones for a couple months. I felt 100 percent positive that I would never meet someone cooler than one of my hometown friends, that no one will even be able to come close. But then, the universe surprised me and threw some undoubtedly awesome people my way. These new friends became my norm and I couldn’t imagine a single day apart from them.

As you can imagine, when I had to leave the city to go back to Colorado for the summer, I feared and knew all too well that I was going to miss these new friends the entire summer. And it was going to suck. However, being apart from people that you care deeply about allows you to really think about what they mean to you and what you love about them. These thoughts usually lead to either deciding you’re better off without them or you actually/literally/physically/mentally cannot live without them. So then, you and the one being missed devise a plethora of plans for when you’re reunited.

Reunions make missing someone worthwhile. The moment when you finally get to lay eyes on your best friend/mom/dad/squad is one of the best human experiences we have available to us. This sight for sore eyes (from crying) gives you a rush of adrenaline and emotion. “Reunited and it feels so good,” as they say.

Since I have two homes now, it seems as if I’m always missing someone. I miss a surprising amount of people that I met in my first year of college, even some people I totally didn’t expect to miss. Missing all my college friends only makes me that much more excited to see them in the fall and get back to the routine I created. Missing someone hurts, but I truly believe “distance makes the heart grow fonder.”