When I first got here, I had my doubts. I didn’t know how easy, or how hard, it would be to meet people I loved as much as my friends from home. As someone who had a positive high school experience I was reluctant to leave all of that behind. Sure, I was ready for something new, but I wasn’t prepared to be hundreds of miles from my family and closest friends. Going from seeing someone at least every other day to once every few months is a different lifestyle. People say distance isn’t easy, and they’re right.

As I ventured off to college in mid-August I struggled leaving my friends. They were my people, the ones who I told everything and loved unconditionally. Early on, I wouldn't make new friends, because how are you supposed to create bonds that rival the friendships you’ve built over so many years at home? Everyone told me that I would be fine, that it takes time, but that I’d find my people sooner later. They’d say to get involved and put yourself out there.

Personally, I’m lucky enough to have found those people sooner than later. It’s easy to compare these new relationships to my ones from home, but I often have to remind myself that they’re completely different bonds. People you’ve known for two and a half months will mean something completely different to you than the people you’ve known for several years. While I wouldn’t trade my friends here for anything, there are times I wish my best friends from home could be here, too.

So, as the days go on and the countdown to Thanksgiving break begins, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to be surrounded by such great people. I know how happy I’ll be once I’m reunited with my best friends from home, but I also know how much I’ll miss my friends from school. It’s weird for me to think that these people’s worlds will most likely never collide, despite how much each of them mean to me. I suppose that’s part of growing up; you leave the people you’ve known forever and you find others who end up meaning more to you than you ever thought.