Fair warning, this will be cheesy.

I remember the first time I saw you. You know this already, but my first impression of you was that you were an incredibly kind person. It was the first day of sixth grade, and you offered to switch seats with someone sitting in the back because they had poor vision. This impression of you has not changed. On that day I decided I wanted to be your friend. But, as most incredibly awkward middle schoolers do, I never really made an effort.

Then mom signed me up for Hebrew school. I remember the day so clearly. You welcomed me with open arms. I was so terrified. I was in an environment completely foreign to me, stressing out about having to make friends in a room where I would know nothing. We had barely spoken at this point, but still, you ran up to me placed your elbow on my shoulder, and welcomed me to the school. I think about that more than you know.

Swedish fish. Swedish fish are what I consider to be, the binding candy of our friendship. We were in seventh grade English, and, by some coincidence, we were seated next to each other. I remember pulling out a large bag of Swedish fish, that my friend had given me. You smiled with joy. We proceeded to laugh throughout the whole class as we threw the candy into the air, trying to catch it in our mouths. And consequently, we grew closer.

We went to different high schools, and sadly, this caused us to drift apart. Of course, we texted occasionally, and when we did see each other, we had so much fun. But it wasn’t the same as seeing each other every day in middle school.

Then suddenly, as if the universe knew that we were supposed to stay together, Israel came along. Every meeting that we went to before taking flight always ended with us being separated. How could they expect to get things done when we are in the room? And despite having to sit far away from each other, I smile every time I think about those moments. Israel created a bond between us that I’m not sure anyone can understand. From mud fights, to being sick together on the last night, our friendship really blossomed.

When it came to college, we both ended up at our number one choice. And yet, to our surprise, our number one happened to be the same school. We talked about rooming together, but college is all about branching out, right? I remember asking what college within the university you were applying to, and you refused to tell me. You told me I should apply to the one that suited me the best, not pick one because of you. And once again, as if the universe knew we were supposed to be together, we ended up in the same college, same dorm building, separated by only one floor.

There is something special about finding someone who can make you laugh without saying a word. I don’t think I can guess how many times you have done so.

You are the person that knows me almost better than I know myself. You can tell when I’m upset even before I know. You know if I have a crush on somebody before I myself even know if I do. You truly are my best friend, the “we” to my “ird.”

We have been blessed to travel the world together. From Idylwyld, New York, and Israel, we have had the privilege to make so many memories. Only we can say that we have driven with a broken speedometer (thank you snapchat for saving us there). Only we can say we showed up to an event an hour early, so we just lay down in the driveway and read. We have shared so many memories, and I hope for so many more.

I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for being the person to check up on me without having any reason to.

Thank you for laughing at my jokes. Some of them aren’t even worth a smile, and yet you laugh anyway.

Thank you for tolerating me. Because I know it is hard to do. I understand that some of the texts you receive from me are random and unnecessary to say the least. But you don’t care, you enjoy them, which I think is the reason I send them in the first place.

You're my person. And I know we constantly bring up “Grey’s Anatomy” in our day to day lives.

But it is true. You are my person. You are someone who I can’t stay mad at, even though I never get mad at you in the first place. The one who is always honest with me, no matter what situation. You understand me, and I understand you, and I cannot thank you enough for that.

You have changed me, that much is true. I can never look at an Islands restaurant without thinking about you. I can’t look at Patagonia or listen to Fleetwood Mac without thinking about you. And don’t get me started on “Glee”. I am so blessed to know you, and I cannot wait to see what our future looks like.

So here’s to more birthday celebrations, “Glee” binges, concerts, hiking adventures, chaotic drives and so much more. I love you. Thanks for always being there.