To My First College Friends,

It's not about how much we hang out now, it's about how, from the moment I took my first terrified step on campus, you were making this place feel more like home.

To my first roommate — thank you for helping me learn more about myself and accepting me for who I am. It's hard to share a new space with a perfect stranger and you embraced all of my weird habits, my strange bedtime rituals, and my monkey pillow pet. You were there to analyze our hall mates and debrief about our very first days of school. You made our tiny little room and shared closet space feel like a safe haven, and you were one of the first people I truly felt at home with.

To my neighbors down the hall — thank you for braving awkward freshmen mixers and sharing my freshmen fears, doubts, and confusion. You saved me from the horrifying thought of having to eat lunch by myself. You shared your clothes with me, for whatever occasion I might have been desperately dressing for, and you became my family.

To the upperclassmen who took me in — thanks for showing me the ins and outs of the school. You taught me our traditions, pushed me out of my comfort zone, and caught me when I fell. All of your previous knowledge saved me from a number of social blunders.

To my friends who got me in, and out of, all kinds of shenanigans -- you are the ones behind the nights I vow to never forget. With you, I share all of the stories that I promise to tell my parents...following commencement. Thank you for convincing me that rules are guidelines and adventure awaits, as long as I stay up late enough.

My college experience is what it is, because of all of you.

As we grew, so did our friend groups and our interests. We no longer lived in the same building or had the same schedule. Our majors, teams, boyfriends, girlfriends, and other involvements naturally grew us into the next stages of our lives, but the friendships remain.

Without you, college would have simply been a lot harder. I cried half as many times out of homesickness with you around and I laughed twice as much as I used to, once you came into my life.

In those rare moments when we find ourselves in the same space, reminiscing on old times, our inside jokes are still the funniest and our crazy adventures are the ones that I will remember long past graduation.

Thank you for becoming my family.

Love,

A Grateful Senior