I knew it'd be okay when you left. I knew WE would be okay, and not just because we had already survived being apart for almost a year when I went abroad. I knew because the way we care about each other cannot be changed or shaken by time or distance.

When I met you at the beginning of my sophomore year, you were just getting started at college. I kept thinking that you were too amazing to ever become MY best friend—that being best friends with you sounded too good to be true. You were this perfect bundle of friendly sunshine from the moment I met you, and you still are.

I remember the exact moment I knew for sure that we were best friends. We had come back from winter break, and I walked into a classroom filled with dozens of our friends. There were so many people in that room that I loved and couldn't wait to reunite with, but I literally ran straight into your arms, screaming your name.

So much has happened since then. Friends have come in and out of our group. Boys have come and gone. We've taken hundreds of drunk pictures and convertible rides in warm weather, day and night. We've lived together, and become so in sync that we practically felt like the same person. Sure, it sounds cliche, but being that close to you fills me with profound happiness.

Even from thousands of miles away, you are still my radiance and my strength. I miss you every day, but I'm okay with that. I know that while you're off in Europe, you are living life so fully and beautifully. The idea of you getting to experience so much adventure and joy fills me with peace, especially because I know you are restoring your soul after a semester that left you drained.

So for now, I am counting the days until your plane touches down in the U.S., and you are returned to me. Just like all of our reunions, I can't wait for the explosion of joy this one will bring.