Having chosen to attend Gonzaga on the other side of the country from my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA brings a few problems despite all the adventure I've experienced. The west coast is like a foreign country to me, so of course staying in touch with friends at home is important as they remind me of home. But maintaining these relationships can definitely be difficult. Here are a few common occurrences I'm sure many other people experience too.

1. You pretty much aren't able to watch a live TV show together because someone is always busy.

2. You always feel loved in the morning because there are always texts and missed calls waiting for you.

3. Leaving those voicemails or long text messages can really get your creative juices flowing.

4. One of you is sleeping 90 percent of the time you're available to talk.

5. Sending those care packages end up costing you as much as your coffee budget.

6. Sometimes you message their mom instead of them because they're just as exciting.

7. You try to live vicariously through their snap stories.

8. You go back into the depths of Facebook and find those embarrassing videos and photos you took in middle school only to share them for all to see.

9. When you hear anything about their school or city you like to send them the link because it makes you feel like you know what they're going through.

10. Too much of what you say seems to just be 'I miss you'.

11. The count down to school breaks are incredibly grueling since you know you'll only have a little time together.

12. Which makes coordinating family time with different break schedules awful.

13. Liking and commenting on all their Instagram posts is just a way to show you care.

14. You realize how much a birthday card or a hand-written note can really make you feel loved.

15. Most of your conversations end up being about when you'll do when you see each other again.

16. But none of those struggles matter when you realize how great it is that nothing has changed after being separated.