I think Peter Pan had the right idea when it came to growing up. It would be so much better, so much easier to not have to do it. However, that's simply not reality.

We graduated. We moved away. We decided upon bigger and better things. We finished our first year of college. Some of us didn't look back. We had to grow up, whether we liked it or not.

A year and a half ago, I would have told you how relieved and excited I was to start over somewhere new. I took it as being a time to reinvent myself. Looking back on that, I have no idea what I was thinking.

I never thought I'd be so eager to get back to my hometown. Back to where I grew up, and couldn't wait to leave. Only now, I see it in a completely different light. It's true-- distance does make the heart grow fonder.

I didn't realize how much I would miss you all. I'm not typically the kind of person who gets attached to others. I really thought I'd go off to college, find new friends that I would care about just as much, and be totally fine. I really thought that I'd be the one to never look back. So far, I've been absolutely wrong.

I don't want to leave you guys behind. No one else compares. I didn't let you know how much I appreciated you when I had you. Now that I don't get to see you all as much as I used to, it really hits home how lucky I was. Even if we don't talk as often as we should anymore, just know that you'll always have someone who cares about you and thinks about you often. You guys are the good ones.

Here's to of my high school friends...

To the boy who is always there for me:

I sincerely wish you all the best. That is the least I can say for all the laughs, smiles, and stories we've shared. You're someone I can count on and trust. To answer your question, I do wish we could stay young forever (but no, forearms are not my thing)

To the boy who always makes me laugh:

Time really does heal. You make me laugh even when I know you're the one hurting inside. You are the sweetest person I know, and you deserve so much more than you think. You'll get it all and more, someday. You just need to be patient. That's hard, I know.

To the girl who kept in contact:

Thank you. You gave me a reason to come home. It is the best feeling to know that other people are in fact thinking of you. Your messages helped me through some stressful college times. I am lucky to have someone who cares about me and sees the good in me the way that you do.

To the girl who inspires me on the daily:

Please, keep on doing what you do; there isn't much more that I can say. You are the reason I'm writing this today, and words cannot describe how thankful I am to have you in my life. Your support means the world, and it makes my heart happy to know that you'll be reading this. Keep me updated on any good books you find, my love. You make me want to run more, read more, write more, explore more, live more.

To the boy I lost along the way:

We didn't always see eye-to-eye, but I blame that solely on my stubbornness. I hope you can forgive me someday, but I have a feeling you already have. You are, hands down, one of the smartest people I know, even if you don't believe that yourself and you don't want other people to know. You're going to go so far in life.

Finally, to the boy I feel safest with:

You deserve nothing less than complete and utter happiness. You have become my go-to when I need honest, quality advice, and you haven't let me down. I can still quote you on things that you told me over a year ago. It amazes me how peaceful and content I feel when you're around; you don't judge me, and you see the best in me. You are simply brilliant. After high school, I was terrified of losing you. I'm not scared anymore.

I truly love you guys, and I hope to never lose you.

I only got to go home for three weeks. It's not much in the grand scale of things, but it's more time back home than I ever pictured myself taking. All in all, I have never been so happy being wrong.