When we first met, I had no idea that you would be such a huge part of my life. To be honest, I thought that once our class trips to Costa Rica wrapped up I would never see you again and that was no big deal. I never imagined that two years after meeting, you would sneak back into my life -- quite literally, seeing as you just slid into my DMs like it was nothing. But, you weren't the same girl that I remembered meeting. And since those first few messages, I am so grateful to say that I'm also no longer the girl that you first met, in part because of you.

You are wise beyond your twenty-two years, and you blow me away with your energy and positivity. You have taught me that it's possible to love yourself along every step of life's journey. I was my harshest critic, and the way I talked to myself… well let's just say that if anyone spoke to someone I love in the same way I spoke to myself, they would have another thing coming to them. You loved me where I was at, and that unconditional support and encouragement made me genuinely want to work hard and do better.

Because of you I feel mentally and physically healthier than I ever have, and even when I'm having my bad days, somehow you know just what message to send me or which podcast will help get me out of my funk. I have had many friends along the road who help me to grow in some aspect of my life; be that my faith, my fitness or my education. While you're not the first, you are definitely one of the ones who has stuck it out with me and who has pushed me to reach higher and higher in every aspect of my life, and when I fall short you are one of the few who just says "It's no problem, I just want you to know how talented and gifted you are. I am so proud of you and deep down who you are to the core." It's that kind of attitude and consistency that has helped me walk into a life that I choose to love every day.

Life with you in it, that's pura vida mi amiga. You are so appreciated, so loved and so incredibly inspiring. Not everyone has a person in their life that can take on the roles of friend, mentor, business and accountability partner, soul sister, and coach. I do, and that's you. Thank you for coming into my life, and for coming back into it when I didn't know that I needed you. It may sound cliché, but God really broke the mold when He made you. I love you long time.