When I left my hometown for college, I left several different things and people behind who were dear to me. I left the home that I grew up in. I left my parents who had taken care of me since I was born. I left the only school that I've ever known, filled with my friends and my entire past that came from this one city. However, leaving all of those things and people wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be. College left no time for me to worry too much about what I was leaving behind. I had mountains of homework to distract my thoughts, I had activities on campus that I attended, and I had newly formed friendships. There was only one person that I was missing, and I never realized how difficult maintaining a long distance relationship would be, even if it was with my best friend.

She was the one person that I couldn't stand to leave, no matter what kind of brave face I showed her. She was the person that I could always turn to, no matter what problem I had. She was the person who made me laugh until I was either crying or I couldn't breathe. I made several new friendships on campus, but I didn't have my best friend there. My best friend who spontaneously starts dancing or yelling at the top of her lungs. My best friend who is able to quote every single episode of "Friends" from memory. The friends I made on campus were infant relationships, and I still had to nurse their development carefully. But my best friend is my home away from home—someone I could completely be myself with—and I missed her so much. I was afraid she would move on as people naturally do with distance between them.

The first few months were rough. While I was tiptoeing around my new friendships at college, she still had her friends in high school, and I couldn't help but begin to feel replaced. I didn't feel comfortable in the social atmosphere in college, and she was never afraid to be herself. However, I never felt bitter towards her, and I never resented her for being herself while I was gone. I only felt sad that I didn't have her in my daily life any more, and I thought she had moved on without me. We had been through so much together: heart breaks, family strife, petty drama, new relationships. We always had each others backs, even if it felt like we had no one else in our corner.

I was horrified that when we saw each other again, we would be totally different people. We would have nothing to say to each other! Nothing to talk about! Stressful fears ate away at me the longer I went without seeing her. Whenever I had the chance to come home and see her again, absolutely nothing had changed between us, despite all of my fears. We found new things to talk about and new stories to tell each other. Our relationship hadn't faded at all! It was just put on pause because we were both terrible at long distance communication. We both have crazy busy lives, and often get distracted by everything that goes on in our lives.

We found ways to make it work. Whenever our schedules worked out, we would see each other, even if it was at scattered places and times. I often came to see her at work and early in the morning on weekends before we had other obligations. Like every long distance relationship, or every relationship at all, we had to put effort in on it. We found a way to keep in touch in our crazy lives through random messages and snapchats. Every time we see each other, we make a point to set the next time we could see each other. That way we had something to plan for and look forward to.

With summer coming around, everything has gotten easier. I was released nearly three weeks before she would be, but we're already planning for things together this summer. We'll both have more time, and we're both back in the same town with our whole pasts written behind us. And next year when she goes to college, I have no doubt that we'll be the same way.

Every person you meet leaves an impression on your life, even if they're just passing through. Occasionally there are friends who are there to help shape your entire future and stay with you forever. I know that my best friend and I have so many more things to laugh and cry over together and so many more stories to tell each other. I know that despite everything that will try to come between us, we will always be this way. Thank you for everything.

I love you, Reese. I love you most.