Dear (far away) friend,

I can tell you from my personal view it feels like you’ve been gone forever. Everyday seems longer, the months drag on, the days seem endless and the thought of the day you come home feels light-years away. But I bet from your view your trip is going by fast. I bet that there is so much to do in such little time. At least that is how vacations usually go for me. Then again you’re not really on vacation are you? You still have to take classes, you still have homework and you probably still have some obnoxious professor, along with the good ones.

I know it is hard to keep in contact being so far and all. I mean being in a different time zone doesn’t help much for that. Thank goodness that technology has advanced so much because if I sent you a letter you might get it the day you’re heading home. The “What’s Up” app has really saved the day. I can text and call you, wherever there is Wi-Fi, free of charge. So even when I am getting ready to go to bed and you are just waking up, it’s nice to exchange a quick “hey, what’s up, hello.” Even with that wonderful technology advantage, it still feels like forever since we have talked, and I mean really talked. I miss that face to face interaction, and I know we have Skype and Face-time for that but I guess what I’m trying to say is I miss you presence. I miss your funny jokes that only I would laugh at. I miss your big hugs that make me never want to let go. I miss late night food runs where we eat probably more then we should. I really just miss you. I know I’m not the only one too. I can’t even imagine how your family feels through all of this. I also wouldn't doubt that your other friends feel the same way. We can all pretend that you are just at college but deep down we know you are on the other side of the world!

But hey, I can’t be selfish. I know that you are having an amazing time. It’s not everyday that you get to travel to a new country for school. You are a lucky one. You get to experience a whole new culture while making a group of new friends. This is a trip you will remember forever. You will be telling your grand kids the story about your trip and they will be in awe of how spectacular it was, heck my grand kids are going to be jealous, asking why I wasn’t as cool as you growing up.

No doubt in this world that I don’t think about you everyday, mostly because I miss you, but I also think about how much fun you have already had and how much you will continue to have these next couple months. I hope this trip is everything you imagined it to be and better and I hope that when you come home you don’t get bored with me. Can't wait to hear all about it.

Love,

Your friend from back home