The night before I graduated high school, I stayed up until 2 a.m. with my friend walking the streets of the Upper East Side of Manhattan trying to talk through what was going to happen the next day. The following day we were graduating high school, we were leaving familiarity behind, we were ending life as we knew it. I am a rare case; I actually loved high school. I loved my life at home. I loved New York City, where I grew up, and ending a part of my life seemed impossible. However, in retrospect, our conversation might have been a little melodramatic. The whole scenario was very “John Green-esque," but at the time it was very real, very raw.

Although I felt like the world was ending that night, I survived. The next day I didn’t feel any different. I went to college. I came home for fall break; the city was still there. I came home for winter break, my friends and I were still close. Summer came and went and all remained the same.

But upon returning for winter break my sophomore year of college, I realized life could not be any more different than it used to be.

At first it started with the small things, the material things. Two of my friends moved. My old school relocated, so my school no longer occupies the buildings that I spent most of my life in. Stores and restaurants that I used to go to are going out of business. Even my pediatrician is closing their practice. But I suppose that might just be a New York thing -- the skyline is always changing; buildings are always going up and coming down. There are no sentiments. The city doesn’t stop for anyone.

But then it started to shift onto people. After a year and a half of long distance communication, friendships are tested. I’ve heard of friendships falling apart. I would be lying if I said I have not lost contact with some people. I would be lying if I said that some of my friendships have changed. People who you once considered close, become strangers. It is devastating. It is real.

Not to sound like such a downer, but I’ve realized that the fear I had two years ago is coming more and more true day-by-day.

We are growing up.

You live a certain life for 18 years and when it's over, it's hard to just let go and never look back. It’s hard when you cannot control inevitable endings, but you always carry parts of your life on with you to new places. College is the time where we either bridge the gap between our childhood and adult lives or burn it.

I guess it’s become more real to me now than ever that this is what life is about: living. It sounds so obvious but it’s true, the most important part about life is moving on. Constants are rare, and it’s important to accept change.