To my boys,

You and me got a whole lot of history. That’s one of the lyrics from your most recent single, and it couldn’t be more true. History is something we definitely have after all these years. Watching what could potentially be your last music video ever, (even though you promise it’s not… and I’m holding you to that) seeing all of the memories we’ve shared laid out in front of me in black and white brought out a lot of emotions. Some sad, some happy, but mostly, I just feel grateful.

I feel grateful because looking back on the years, I realize just how much you’ve given me. You don’t even know who I am, yet you have given me so many amazing things, and I just want to say thank you.

Thank you for the incredible memories. Thank you for all of the road trips, all of the miles put on my best friend’s Honda, and for all of the middle of the night adventures. Because of you, I’ve seen cities I possibly never would have seen, and felt at home in places so far away from my own.

Thank you for the people. I’ve met some of my best friends because of you. Thank you for being something that my long time best friend and I could love together, and for also helping me find other best friends, too. Thank you for giving me something to talk about with that random girl in my journalism class with the “Lol ur not Niall Horan” sticker on her laptop and that girl I met two years ago who overheard me mention Harry Styles. They’re going to be my roommates next year.

Thank you for helping me find myself. I’ve always had a love for media, but I never thought of actually pursuing it until I found you. Now I’m on my way to starting a career that I was always destined for, and I have you to thank for the happiness I feel every day in class because I’ve finally found where I belong.

Thank you for the opportunity to be apart of something bigger than myself. Thank you for the packed stadiums full of 80,000 screaming fans where I never met a stranger, because we all had one thing in common. Thanks for the euphoric feeling I felt when the lights went down, the fireworks filled the sky, the door slid up and you appeared on stage in front of me. Thanks for the hours spent laughing at Louis’ jokes, and making fun of Harry’s sparkly footwear (to which he promptly yelled at all of us to shut up and gave me one of my fondest memories).

Thank you for the anticipation and the countdowns to every concert, music video, and album. Because of you, I always had something to look forward to… and occasionally skip class to watch (oops).

I could spend hours recounting every good thing you’ve brought into my life, because there are so many more. But for now, I’ll just say thank you for giving me plenty of stories to tell my grandchildren, and for always making sure there was a smile on my face even in times when I just felt like crying.

You say you’ll be back in 2017, and maybe you will. But then again, maybe you won’t. If I truly have seen the last of One Direction, then of course I’ll be disappointed, but I think I might just be OK with that. Even if I never get another album or another tour, I’ve already gotten more than I could’ve ever asked for. I have my memories, people to share them with, and the pride of watching something I love grow to be something that impacted so many people across the world. And for me, all of that would be enough.

From the bottom of the stairs to the top of the world. Thanks for letting me be part of your journey, and for making yourselves a part of mine.

Love,

A Fan