Going off to college is one of the most exciting and anticipated events in a lot of young people's lives.
We anxiously pack, contact our roommates, and look up tons of different things for advice.
Leaving my hometown freshman year was hard because I would no longer be seeing my family regularly, but it was also hard because I knew that I would end up losing friends.
Childhood friends are so important to have.
They help you grow up, get in trouble with you, and are by your side for all those firsts you'll never have again (like the first time you drove after getting your license).
They are truly irreplaceable.
But what happens when you no longer have regular contact with them, and the connections start to break?
Everyone wants to think that it won't happen to them: they'll manage to maintain their old friendships while still making new ones. And for some people, it does work out. But keeping up with people you see once or twice a year, and live hours from is not easy. It takes effort. And unfortunately, sometimes neither party is willing to put in the work.
So what do you do in this situation? It's easy to let it fizzle out for ages, sporadically texting each other and meeting up for food once a summer when you're both around. While it's always nice to see them again, sometimes the feeling is just gone and what's left are simply memories. There are also people that you will just abruptly stop talking to, instead seeing their lives on social media and being content that they're doing well. The truth is we just get busy. We have classes, jobs, and dozens of other responsibilities that just come with being an adult. This is sad, but it's okay, and let me tell you why:
We love all these people who come into our lives at different places. Every solid friendship we have helps us grow and learn in one way or another. However, not everyone we meet is meant to be around forever. There are people I was friends with in high school that I am drastically different from now, but the things we did together still matter and the things I learned from them are still relevant. I truly hope that those people are living their best life, and I hope they think the same of me.
The people I'm friends with today are more than likely not people I would have been friends with in high school. Our friends change because we change, and to fight back those changes is to fight back your own personal growth. Have fun in college. Meet new people and make new friends. And when you go home and drive past the places you used to raise hell with different people, remember them in a good light, because they helped shape you into who you are.
