Dear Best Friend,

Home is the people you've known for what seems like your entire life. Home is seeing or smelling something that you just can't put your finger on, but you know it reminds you of someone. Home is familiarity in a different place.

For eight years, I knew that coming home meant seeing my friends after a long day. In middle school, that meant calling each other on the landline and talking for an hour. In high school, that meant walking everywhere because we still couldn't drive. And now in college, it means talking to one another via FaceTime or Skype during our free time.

From running together at Striders track and field to hanging out at lunch during sophomore year by our AP European class, we've exchanged our fair share of personal stories, secrets, and even our middle names. You've been there for me through thick and thin, and I can only hope that I was there for you when you needed me.

When we ran the two-mile during one of our track meets, I was basically crying at the end of the race before you told me, "Finish strong and the pain won't matter." We both finished last and second-to-last, but we made it nonetheless. That same day, I later ran the 100-meter and won my heat for the first time in all my years of running that event. Your words of encouragement have been in the back of my mind in every difficult obstacle that I have come across.

So I will say this to you: "No matter how sad you may be, we are but a call away."

When I come back to California, this small hometown will be missing a key component: you. It will still be home, but a little less so. Runs around the neighborhood will be a tad quieter, and coffee runs will be a bit shorter. But nonetheless, you will find new paths to run and different coffee shops to frequent.

Off you go to new adventures! As I write this, you're only a few hours away from the plane ride that will take you to your new destination—your new home. We'll certainly miss you, but we have the memories to reminisce about and the pictures that captured those moments.

It might seem like your time here has come to a close, but that's not the case. You're on your way to new beginnings, and we'll always be here to support you—wherever you are.

Forever your friend,

Danielle