In high school, I was lucky enough to have an extremely close group of friends. So close, in fact, one of us couldn’t be invited anywhere without the others. We were a packaged deal.
So, when college came around and all six of us headed off to separate schools around the country, it was difficult not having them so close. We all realized that college was a time to experience new things and meet some fresh faces, but while some people left high school and never looked back, I didn’t want to forget my amazing group of friends.
There’s plenty of space for both the new and the old. While it’s okay to move on from high school, it’s also normal to get a little homesick. Staying in contact with old high school friends was the best decision I could have made. In times of sadness, loneliness and hardships, my best friends were there for me when no one else was.
While it was difficult at times being so far away, over the course of our freshman year, we managed to make it work.
Here are seven things I experienced being separated from my best friends in college.
1. The group text
There is absolutely nothing better than the group text with your best friends, especially when the text involves gossip about people from high school. Yes, please tell me all about who’s a drug dealer and who’s pregnant.
2. Phone calls
Yes, I know phone calls are a bit out of style. But honestly, there’s nothing better than a phone call with one of my best friends. Whether it’s just to catch up or to vent about our problems, it makes me feel a thousand times better to talk it out with someone I’ve been friends with for years.
3. Discussing break plans months in advance
I’m pretty sure my best friends and I had plans to eat at IHOP two months before winter break. We love breakfast food, but we love each other even more.
4. Going home is exciting
Going home during breaks is so exciting because it means my best friends and I can meet up again. Spending time apart makes you appreciate all the time you are together so much more. Sleepovers and Snapchat selfies just aren’t the same without them.
5. Mail and packages
Nothing makes my day better than sending a letter or receiving one from my best friends. When you live miles apart, it’s nice to be reminded of home every once and awhile. They could send me a potato through the mail and I would love it simply because it came from them.
6. Love interests = big deal
When someone has a new guy, it is customary to at least send a name in the group text so we can all stalk him on social media and discuss the details. We care about each other's love lives more than our own.
7. Countdown to summer
With everyone becoming more like an adult each day, it’s difficult for all of us to be in the same place at the same time. However, summer means there is a much higher chance of this happening. We may have jobs or internships, but summer is full of endless possibilities. A reunion is in the future.
The most important aspect of my life are the people in it. I love making new friends, but the old ones will always have a special place in my heart.
