Mom,

For the past eighteen years, you've undoubtedly been my biggest supporter and my best friend. You have held my hand through my struggles, helped me get back up when I failed, and loved me unconditionally, even when I probably didn't deserve it. You have always protected me from the harsh parts of the world, so I know letting me go off to college will be one of the hardest things you've ever had to do. I know you're scared, but you shouldn't be.

Sometimes when people say, "You're just like your mom," I laugh and roll my eyes, but in reality, I am, and that's probably the best thing I could ever be. You have raised and shaped me into the young adult I am today, leading me through the twists and turns of life and teaching me values and morals that I can hold onto in an ever-changing world.

You have made a smaller version of yourself, and I am so proud to say I'm just like my mom. So, just like my mom, I can do this. I can handle anything life throws my way, and I can be the independent, strong woman you raised me to be.

It may feel like I'm another world away if I'm not down the hall, but I'm really not. I'm only a call or text away, and even if I don't answer the first time, I know you'll probably call again. Weekend visits, breaks, and summer will all be here before you know it, so you can start the countdown now. I already know I'll get homesick, and I'll be home more than we all anticipated. I promise I'll call probably more than you'll expect, and I'll teach you how to Snapchat and Facetime before I leave!

And even if I refuse to admit it, I really will miss you.

It'll be hard for me to step out of my comfort zone, out of my home, into a new place with unfamiliar places and faces. I'll miss telling you every day to tell you the latest gossip, how my day was, and most importantly, "What's for dinner?" I'll miss our late night conversations, where we get so caught up we didn't realize how late it was. I'll miss the simple things, like watching TV or riding in the car, and I'll miss the most important things, like hugs and home-cooked food. So, when you worry about your little girl going off and leaving you, just know, I will probably miss you almost as much as you miss me.

The next chapter of my life is an exciting one, and I can't thank you enough for guiding me and supporting me to this point in my life. It will be scary for both of us, being apart from one another, but I know I'll be okay. I'll miss you, but we both know that growing in this part of life is what I need to make my mark on the world and to make you proud.

I love you. I got this.