We're at that point in the winter break; the holidays are over and parents have gone back to work, younger siblings are back in school and you're left to fill your empty days. Some people catch up on sleep they lost this past semester. Others log extra hours at their job. Some just sit on their computers or watch TV. But most, like me, make time to see their old friends from high school.

While I've been writing this article, I've had the Girl Scouts rhyme stuck in my head: "make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold." As silly as the song is, it's true. I've written plenty about my new friends (see here and here), but this is the first time I'm really writing about my old friends. I think they deserve a shout out, too.

I think it's safe to say I've been having a great time in my first semester. I've made new friends in my roommate and my suite mates and people from my building and my classes. And they've been great, really! They've helped me adjust to college life and being away from my old friends. But no matter how great they are, they can never replace my old friends.

Part of the reason is the sheer length of time I've known my friends. Rorie has been my best friend since kindergarten. I've been in dance lessons with Renee since we were three. I first met Rowanne in eighth grade. I met Sarah and Laura in my freshman year. I've known them for years and we've all suffered together through our painfully awkward years (not that those are necessarily over...).

My favorite part of being home for vacation is having time to see these friends and to hang out with them. The best part about longstanding friendships is that, though we haven't seen each other in a few months, we can hang out and it will be like no time has passed. We can pick up exactly where we left off and go get pizza or go watch an excellent animated children's movie (I highly recommend "Sing" ). We can spend hours laughing and monopolizing one table in a restaurant or staying up until midnight (we were nearly falling asleep and playing card games in our pajamas). Even though things are changing, these friendships are a constant, grounding factor in my life.

So thank you, to my oldest and best friends. Thank you for always being there. Thank you for being a safe place to land, people for me to turn to when I need you. Thank you for maintaining the friendships despite the distance