On August 11, 2015, the person who can actually finish my sentences before I even know what I am even trying to say left our small town to go to college far away from mine—425.9 miles away, to be exact. To say I felt "empty" was an understatement. I was leaving a week later, but it was weird. My last week home was not engulfed with late-night drives and gossip with my other half. They were spent with my dog, who was not able to crack a one-liner after my joke. Having to have a long distance relationship for an entire school year seems scary, but it also can be one of the best things to happen to you and your bestie. It brings you guys closer on special occasions, and it makes late-night phone calls that much more special.
In the first couple months of being separated from my best friends and family, I learned to appreciate phone calls, FaceTime conversations and breaks at home. When you and your best friend basically have a long distance relationship, it gives you the chance to travel. In my case, I got to go to a state I've never been to to visit my best friend. I saw where she now calls home and all the people that have helped her adjust to her new surroundings. At first, when I would scroll through her Instagram or her Snapchat, I would be jealous of these new people. I thought they were replacing me, but when I had the chance to meet them, they welcomed me with open arms. By us being so far away from each other we both found new groups of "people," I am so thankful she found her sorority sisters because they can be there for her when I cannot be, and that's a comforting feeling. Being with her and her friends just proved that us being apart made our friendship stronger and the time we had on my adventure to her sweeter. Birthdays apart from your other half is one of the strangest feelings I have experienced.
Celebrating your best friend's birthday is often more exciting than celebrating your own. Being away from your best friend for birthdays makes you appreciate your birthday, your friend and the time you do get to see them so much more. There's something heart warming about seeing your friends birthday post to you go up at midnight on your birthday or the FaceTime call when you're at the library and didn't even realize it was midnight, let alone your birthday. Being away from your best friend for something as special as a birthday is strange. There were no awkward decorations all over my car in the school parking lot, we did not have any awkward family dinners, and we most definitely did not get the chance to throw cake at one another. Not being with her or my family on my birthday like I have spent the past eight was awful, but I was reminded how much she loved me when I received my package and then immediately FaceTimed her. The 425.9 miles separating us feels so much shorter due to these handy things called iPhones.
Thank God for FaceTime. It allows me to see her eyebrows when she talks (they have their own conversation with you), to see whether or not if she's actually OK and for vent sessions to be like we're actually together. College may have separated us geographically, but it doesn't change our relationship one bit.
Knowing you have to have a long distance relationship with your best friend is terrifying and definitely brings a roller coaster of emotions, but remember that it doesn't affect your friendship. Distances brings you closer. It makes everything more meaningful. Whenever being away from your best friend/sister/other half gets tough, just remember that being able to spend the whole summer and breaks together is completely worth it.
You'll always love each other to the stars.
