Whether it's something we like or not, everyone goes through phases of being in multiple friend groups as they grow up. You have the friend group you were forced into in elementary school, whether it was because of your parents knowing their parents, or the fact that you shared the same bus stop. Then, you had your middle school friend group, where you expanded your horizons, most likely in a new building, and with friends you made by choice. Finally, after those traumatic pre-teen years full of drama and heartbreak, you blinked your eyes and you were in high school, where you would meet the handful (or if you’re as lucky as I am, two handfuls) of girls who will be your life-long friends and sisters by choice.

It's not that the friends you make in college are any less important, or less likely to be your lifelong friends than the girls you were friends with in high school. However, your college friends weren't there for your first kiss, breakup, or when your team lost that huge championship game. For the 10 girls that have been there through it all, I am forever grateful.

1. Thank you for being so loyal.

Whether it was by not talking to a boy I liked, or taking my side even when you knew I was wrong, thank you for your never ending loyalty.

2. Thank you for sitting with me at lunch for four consecutive years.

Even when I packed those salads with the vinaigrette dressing you all despised the smell of.

3. Thank you for always making sure there was room in your car to drive me home from field hockey practice.

...especially since I was the last of us to get my license.

4. Thank you for wiping my tears every time I needed you to.

From my first break up, to my first car accident, I can’t thank you enough for always being my shoulder to cry on.

5. Thank you for solving my problems for me.

Regardless as to whether it was a small bump in the road ahead of me, or a mountain that needed to be moved in order for me to achieve my goals, thank you for giving me the guidance and support I needed to get through any obstacle I faced.

6. Thank you for always asking what was wrong.

...and forcing an answer out of me, even if I didn’t feel like talking.

7. Thank you for not sugarcoating the truth.

Whether or not you were telling me my outfit didn’t match, or that I was wasting time on a boy that didn’t really care about me, thank you for never lying just to make me feel better.

8. Thank you for not judging me even when I looked my worst.

There’s no group of people I trust more to not take ugly Snapchats of me when I wake up.

9. Thank you for making mistakes with me.

There’s no other group of people I’d want to look back on my mistakes and laugh with, other than you.

10. Thank you for genuinely caring.

Even when I was telling the same story for the 15th time, thank you for being interested and giving me advice to better myself when I needed it the most.

11. Thank you for always going out to eat with me.

There are not many people in college willing to waste their hard-earned money on sushi and Saladworks like us.

12. Thank you for still being there after high school.

After a long first semester without you all, I’ve learned that the group message is still there for me when I need (or just want) someone to talk to. I know that when we’re home for breaks and haven’t seen each other for weeks, or even months at a time sometimes, hanging out is still the same.

Regardless as to whether or not my high school best friends are a short two-minute walk between residence halls, or an hour's drive away, I know the bond I have with them will never change. For that bond, I am forever thankful.