I've known my best friend my entire life. I can read her thoughts like they're my own; I love her laugh that can light up a room and her smile that inspires my own; I understand her jokes when no one else does. She is the greatest part of me, a vital piece of my identity, and she is my twin.

Being a twin is nothing new. In fact, the National Center for Health Statistics branch of the CDC reports that "one in every 30 babies born in 2009 [in the United States] was a twin", which increased nearly 76 percent since 1980. Despite this, I still find that being a twin is a part of who I am that makes me unique.

For me, having a twin is a relationship like no other, combining the roles of a sibling and a best friend into something special. I've never had I friend in my life that I could be completely mad at one minute and laughing with the next, except my twin. She's the only person I am 100 percent comfortable with in companionable silence, where every second where together doesn't have to be filled with conversation. Sure, we're just like any other sisters. We fight, we compete, we annoy each other to no end. But at the end of the day, we're family and that's what matters. How many other people can honestly say their best friend is a part of all of their most cherished memories? Growing up, my sister was my constant companion, for better or for worse. In a new situation, I never had to worry about feeling alone as long as she was there beside me. Perhaps this kept me too sheltered, may have even been a detriment to my personal social skills; I would often cling to her rather than branching out myself, and I would feel lost if my sister was there with me. But in the end, I know without a doubt I wouldn't trade this part of me for anything in the world.

For 18 years it's been this way; 18 years of having my best friend and my sister right by my side, but now our story is changing. As I sit here writing this, we are nearly 1,061 miles away from each other and will be for the duration of our college careers. It's a difficult new reality to get used to. Already I feel as if a part of me is missing, and it hasn't even been a week since I last saw her. I'm so used to being in near constant contact with my sister and seeing her everyday, there are times her absence hits me like a brick wall. I'm scared of being alone, even surrounded by 2,000 new faces in the same boat as I am. I've never been very strong at meeting new people. Living apart from my twin will definitely be a struggle to get used to, but it will have it's benefits. For the the first time, we both have the opportunity to establish ourselves as individuals rather than a package deal. In the past, I feel like some distance has been really beneficial for our relationship and that we've grown closer together the further we've branched out to explore our different interests. As our schedules became busier and less intertwined, it made the time we did spend together all the more special.

My twin will always be an important part of my life and my identity, and to me, that means she will always be my closest friend. Whether we're across the hall from each other or across the country, there's no amount of distance that can change that.