You know it’s serious when your best friend goes so far away for college, you don’t even know the name of the town they live in anymore. The home that used to be down the street or, let's be honest, the house you practically lived in through all of high school, is now a place you can’t even see if you close your eyes and try to imagine it. Your best friend’s new home, that you always thought you would be a part of, is so far away, chances are you’ve never even been there.

One of the hardest transitions when approaching your first year of college is knowing that sooner than later, you will be separated from your best friend because of the inevitable: college acceptances and preferences.

My best friend dreamt of going to school out of state all through junior year, and I watched her dream come true as the season of college acceptances rolled around senior year. I was filled with happiness for her to take on her journey to the north, a place so foreign to us south Florida kids. I knew I was staying in state because, well, Florida Prepaid…but then again, how exciting that I would be able to live vicariously through my other half, as she took on the land of the snow – where there are actual seasons, right?

Well, what ended up happening was quite the opposite. Sometimes, you find yourself so immersed in different school cultures, that it becomes difficult to constantly explain a world that the other doesn’t understand. You make new friends and you are no longer a part of the same “crew.” In fact, you don’t even know each other’s friends anymore. All you can do is make up imaginary people and stick to them, so you can better comprehend their stories about faces you’ve never seen and people you don’t know. Sometimes, it becomes so challenging to keep up, that you even need a break to get it together.

If there is one thing I have learned from this feeling of not being able to keep up with the girl whose life I was sure I would always know every detail about, is that distance can separate the mind, but not the heart. Yeah, I know that is so cliché, right? But it is the truest line that applies so perfectly to this situation. For those of you feeling far from the girl that was once your go-to, your right hand (do I need to go on?) I can guarantee you that you can always pick up right where you left off. Believe in your relationships and believe in your friends, because relationships are the basis of all of our existence. So, if your best friend picked up and moved on to a different part of the country, don’t let them get away. Chances are, you guys were best friends for so many years for a reason – don’t let the distance (and weather change) separate you from your partner in crime. I guarantee there will be a day you’ll be jumping the fence together again.