Just a short 72 hours ago I was cuddled up in my bed, sound asleep in anticipation of throwing my best friend's 23rd birthday party the next day. I was excited to get everything under wraps, but I cannot deny the hollow feeling that hung over me as I realized this was the first birthday we were going to celebrate without all of our college friends together. I let myself fall into my slumber only to be awoken when my door flew up and a shadowy silhouette stood in my door frame. I knew one of my best friends was coming into town but was under the impression she was running late and I would see her in the morning. Suddenly that shadowy silhouette leap onto my bed and embraced me in a hug while I realized it the silhouette belonged to my best friend that I hadn't seen in what had felt like ages. In a whirlwind of emotions, another incredible friend walked through my door, followed by the girl I was expecting. The four of us and my two roommates sat in the kitchen and it was one of the most pure moments of joy I have ever experienced. Flash forward to the next day and another one of my wonderful friends surprised us and came waltzing through the door.

The rest of the weekend played out to be better than I could have ever imagined. For the first time in such a long time we were all (almost all) together. I could see the joy and excitement plastered on everyone's faces as we tackled adventures together in the city where we first all found each other.

I've always known that my friends I made in college are the best people in the world. The experiences and memories I have shared with them over four years have greatly shaped my life. But this weekend as I sat on our last day together eating brunch, I could not help but look around and feel an overwhelming amount of emotions. My friend began talking about how sad she was to leave and how we are her family. In that moment I knew that she had hit the nail on the head.

My friends that I have made in Lexington are not just people that I shared four years with and that I will go on to forget. These are the people I will share memories with for the rest of my life. These are the people I will tell my kids about one day. These are the people I have constant contact with at all hours. These are the people I will turn to first in any situation. These are the people I would fly across the country for without a second thought. These people are my family.

I don't know why we all got lucky enough to find each other. But we did and that is all that matters. I know that our years of missing each other, planning reunions and crying dropping each other off at airports are far from over, but these guys are worth it. I love them with every fiber that I am. Thanks for being the best friends anyone could ever have. I love you guys.