We all knew when we chose our colleges that we were going to be separated from each other, and honestly, that was the toughest decision. Choosing between the college that your best friend is going to and where you know you belong is where reality kicks in and reassures you that you’ll still see your best friend no matter where you go. And so, we all went our different ways.

I love the university I attend now. I have made many new friends and I feel like I belong here. I have a few college best friends; we go to parties together, eat dinner together, and are always hanging out around campus. I love my new friends; we have so much fun together. Don’t worry, though, they haven’t replaced you. Nobody can replace my lifelong best friend who stays up until 3 a.m. with me talking about the most random things, who is always welcome in my house even without an invitation, and who has years worth of quality inside jokes with me. I love my new college friends and I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but you will always be my world.

The hardest thing about going to a different school than your best friend is the distance it puts between us. Especially in our state, every school is at least two hours away from each other. Add on top of that the fact that, being a college student, I have $1.46 in my bank account at any given time. Even with that, I would gladly spend *almost* every penny just to drive to wherever you are.

I may miss you a whole lot and think about you all the time, but we need to address the fact that we go to opposing colleges. You’re my best friend so you know I support you and your endeavors, but I have to respect the rivalry between our schools. It’s policy, really. Just understand that when I come to visit you at your school, I will be decked out in my school’s gear one hundred percent of the time that I am there. It’s nothing personal, I just won’t respect your school..until I go to your bookstore and buy a college t-shirt. Strictly to add to my oversize college t-shirt collection, of course.

It is my best friend duty to support you in whatever academic endeavors you chase after. If I’ve learned anything this past year about going to different schools it’s that we’re going to school to chase after the dreams that we’ve had for years, and that may mean that we don’t always get to talk. We have our own lives to live now that we are adults and have to do adult things on our own.

The one thing that I can always count on is a great reunion phone call or visit when we both need to take a break from the academic world. I love that we can go weeks without talking, but when we do it’s as if nothing has changed. I always look forward to holidays and breaks because I know I’m coming home to a huge hug and hours of catching up with my favorite person in the world.

So, even though we go to different colleges, nothing has changed in our status as best friends. Long distance can be covered, and besides, we’re all just trying to make our mark on this world so when you make yours and I make mine we will be able to come together and tell all about it.