To my friends from home,

This is for the people that may not feel like they know me anymore. Yes, we grew up together, but life happens and things change. This isn’t always a bad thing, because we all grow up and move on. I can admit that I was always one that was ready to leave high school and our small town, and I know that that wasn’t the case for everyone. Some people are still living right where we were a few years ago and maybe that’s for you, but it wasn’t for me.

One thing that I can say about the past few years is that I have learned so much about myself. That seems so cliché but it's true. Moving away from home and being put into a new group of people, new community, a new state of mind and being forced to conform to a new way of living will shape your mind into being nothing short of independent.

Like I said, I’ve changed and maybe we will never be as close as we use to be, but I bet you’ve changed too.

Things have definitely happened in your life that have affected you in some way and honestly, I’ve love to hear all about it. I’d love to sit and have lunch and talk about how our lives have changed and how much we’ve grown in just a few short years. It would be so fun to reminisce about the days upon days that we spent in the same classrooms with the same teachers and the easiest of tests haha.

But that’s just it isn’t it? We’ll never be able to go back and re-live them (some we don’t want to) and all we have is memories. That’s a simple thought, but I have been thinking about it a lot recently. We really have to appreciate what’s sitting in front of us before it dwindles into memories and thoughts rather than something physical in front of us.

For instance, if someone in your life is good to you or a good friend, don’t take them for granted. It will slip away before you get a chance to blink. I think I did that with high school sometimes. I didn’t appreciate that time, and while college is amazing and it’s already molded me into a more independent and stronger young lady, I let high school and those years at home pass without really appreciating them.

So, if you’re reading this and we grew up together and want to catch up, let me know! I love talking about life and sharing my story and seeing what’s going on in other peoples lives since we left the small little town of Thomson.

xoxo