I remember the days leading up to leaving for college like they were yesterday. Conversations amongst friends seem to only consist of promises of visiting each other, staying in contact, and of course, getting together on breaks. All of it sounded so nice when it was said out loud; however, it would soon become clear that these promises would not unfold the way we had once hoped.

Each day away at school, each new friend we made, each exciting adventure only loosened the ties between us. College is a place to grow and discover not only who you are, but also a place to discover who you want in your life. This idea was completely new to me. Coming from a small town, my friends were my friends because of proximity. Now don't get me wrong I love my friends to death, but in college, I got to choose my friends from a pool of over 28,000 people. I got to meet people in my major, people who like the same music as me, people not from small town Ohio where I had lived my whole life. My close circle of friends at school are all people that I have decided that I want to let into my life, and they have done the same.

Letting go of your high school bonds does not mean forgetting them. I’m not saying to never reconnect with your childhood pals, because you should. What you shouldn’t do is let those friendships prevent you from creating new bonds. You will always have those memories, but college is the place to make new ones. Coming home will be different. The first time my friends and I got together during break, it was awkward. We all were hesitant to share stories about our new lives, but eventually the conversation started flowing. It was almost as if I had met a new group of people, but somehow they were still the same.

While I can count my interactions with my friends from home since leaving for school on one hand, getting together with them has really put my life into perspective. It has showed me that change is good, and while change can be hard, it is crucial to becoming your true self. I know for a fact that I will always remember my childhood BFFs, but the changes I have gone through these past months at college open the door for new relationships to be welcomed into this crazy journey I call life.