What do you consider the perfect friend? Someone who agrees with everything you say? Someone you can have intelligent conversation with? Someone you laugh with? Someone you can open up to? Someone who saves you a seat at lunch? Someone who tells you the truth even when it hurts? Someone you can’t go a day without? Or is it all of the above?

This summer, I had the privilege of attending the Yale Young Global Scholars Program. Don’t get me wrong -- the lectures and seminars were unbelievable. Immersed in the ethics of drones, the depths of the constitution, and the presidential election. It was easy to say I enjoyed my summer. However, as great as the lectures and seminars were, they aren’t why I cried endlessly on the day I had to depart Yale campus.

The students were the reason, and the scholars that showed me a whole new perspective on this world. Have you ever been in a discussion with perspectives from 12 different countries? For most people, the answer to that question would be no. Until this program, I had never met someone whose country was going through a coup, exiting the EU or had government censored media.

You can read and investigate. You can study and study, but you don’t know how things are in another country until someone can tell you firsthand what life is like.

There was one moment when my mind truly expanded. As an American, it’s easy to get caught up in my country; to forget some of the conflicts outside my borders. Sitting down at lunch with a few amazing people, I had a revelation. They showed their patriotism and passion for their countries in a way that inspired me. It was the most stimulating, thought provoking, and passionate conversation I had ever experienced and I craved more. The discussions and debates were eye-opening, increasing my knowledge and making me think on my feet to defend my views.

Intellectual conversations weren’t all we had though. We had friendship. We played games and laughed. We discussed problems from home and gave advice. We became closer in fourteen days than people we’ve known all our lives. We bonded with musicians as we harmonized for the talent show and made frenemies while reenacting a World War II simulation in the style of the game of Risk. We bonded through morning coffee and piggy-back rides to lunch. We shared hair-ties and gave fashion advice for college interviews. We sang "Pitch Perfect" on our way to lectures, convincing more scholars to join in. We complained about the food and our capstone assignments. We had family time and created unbreakable bonds with instructors. We talked to interns that were somehow younger than us and convinced them not to worry because us seniors would come intern next year.

I was in awe of how giving, truthful, intelligent, comical, creative and simply amazing all of these people were.

I made friends I know will last a life time. Not only does my “squad” continue a group chat, but the entire population of YYGS does, too, and we all keep up with each other through social media -- some of us even made finstas to reminisce on. I can now say I have friends from Missouri, Idaho, India, Minnesota, Spain, England, Beijing, Russia, Canada, New York, France, Texas, Argentina, California, Mexico, South Carolina, Turkey, Japan, Kenya, Australia, Costa Rica and many more.

I didn’t expect it. I didn’t expect to connect with these students so much, but I did. I fell in love. I fell in love with my fellow Young Global Scholars and met people that proved to be perfect friends.