Since I can remember I’ve always had friends that were older than me. I can’t say why but I always felt less connected to people my own age and have always gotten along ten times better with people older than me. Having older friends comes with its own set of difficulties and heartaches. Being the youngest in my friend group has some advantages but lately being the baby among my friends has been really hard. Within the last year, nearly all of my friends moved away to various colleges in different states. Yeah, it’s been difficult but it definitely has its upsides.

1. Need a weekend off? You’re in luck!

One of the best weekends I’ve had in a while was the one I spent up in Chapel Hill visiting the weirdos in this picture I call my friends. Even when we were all just laying around we were having a blast just being back together. We played volleyball, watched movies, ordered insomnia cookies, and watched a football game on campus. I had been so bogged down with the stress of senior year and working and practices I hadn’t laughed like that probably since they had left for school months prior.

2. You find technology is the best!!!

Having your friends move away makes you see the importance of making time just for the people you love and care about. When you all go to the same high school or play in the same team you end up having built in time in your day that you get to spend with those people. As you get older and people move or change schools or get jobs less time ends up being dedicated to relationships. When you let life get in the way your friends slip away and before you know it you haven’t spoken in weeks. So far, the three of us pictured above haven’t gone a single week without texting each other via group chat. The real treat is always when everyone has enough downtime away from homework and everything else to have a Skype call. It isn’t the same as being with them in person but sometimes all you need is to see their faces and have a laugh or two.

3.Reality Checks

No matter how stressed I get or how much stuff I have to do or deadlines I have to meet all of my friends have already been through it! When filling out college apps, I can text them asking for advice or when I’m stressed and feeling like I’m never gonna graduate my college friends are always there to remind me to slow down, take a breath, and soak it all in before it’s gone. Having already graduated and left high school behind they know better than me just how fast it goes by-- and how hard it is to make the change to college and realize you’re growing up.

4. Seeing them for real

So not seeing your best friends for months at a time is honestly kind of the worst. But whenever you’re lucky enough to see them in person it’s the best feeling in the world. In this picture above I had just had dinner with my friend (the one attempting to carry me would be her) after not seeing her for I don’t know how long. She ended up all the way in Kentucky-- a pretty big jump for North Carolina where she left me. But while I don’t get to see her as much as I would like to anymore whenever I do it is so so special. Having a college friend visit is kind of like having an early Christmas or birthday.

(PS I love you, Vic)

5. Sometimes it’s really, really sucky.

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Older friends come with lots of perks. They give you advice, invite you to stay weekends away, and nothing is like finally getting to see them...But the in between stuff can get hard. I’m a senior in high school so I can’t wait to go and meet new people when I finally leave for college but until then I’m a little out of luck. Sometimes it’s a little difficult being around people that have lots of friends to go and do things with because it really does make me miss my friends. Senior year isn’t exactly the prime time to be trying to found new friendships but I’m doing my best until my own college adventure begins. But even though my friends are spread out they’ve never been more than a phone call or text away. This year without them has had its good and bad moments but if nothing else it has proved that they will always be my people. I had so many fears that they would go off to college and forget about me back here at home or that they would meet new people and not need me anymore. But no matter how far away we are or how different our lives get they have always been there for me and I’ll always do the same.