Three years ago, my best friend Julie told me the news that she was moving from our small town in Connecticut to the city of San Diego in California. I was completely shocked to learn that my best friend since fourth grade would no longer be a fifteen minute drive away anymore. Instead she would be a seven hour flight away.

At first, I wondered what that meant for our friendship. I questioned if we would still talk everyday and I was curious about the next time I would see her again. The memories of all of the good times we had together throughout our seven year friendship flooded in the moment she told me she was moving away for good. I remembered how we would our spend weekends together, hanging out by her pool, going on shopping trips, and having our own movie nights.

To our surprise the move actually brought us closer together. Since the day she moved across the country to California we have talked every single day. We text each other all day long and make sure to answer each others Facetime and Skype calls. She is the first person I tell when something massive happens in my life, and we always know exactly what is going on in each others lives.

The most fun part of a long distance friendship is that you can make an itinerary for activities to do with each other when your friend comes back to visit, or when you go to visit them. When she comes back up to Connecticut we make plans to go into New York City and go to tourist attractions like the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, and the Museum of Icecream.

Thank you for always being there for me even if I have to call you in the middle of the night for advice. Even though we live in different time zones, we always find a way to stay in touch. Something unique that we decided to do was send each other care packages. I will send her items you can only get in New England, and she sends me items you can only get in San Diego.

Having a best friend who ends up moving away, does not mean it is the end of your friendship. It is very common for friends to move away from each other, especially as people grow older and head off to college. Being in a long distance friendship is hard, but you can make it work. Sure, your friendship is going to change, but by no means does it mean that your friendship over. You will most likely become closer in the long run because you are putting in the extra effort to keep in touch with each other. At the end of the day, you will appreciate the time you get to see your friend very much, because you know it might be a while before you see them again.

Julie, thank you for being a wonderful friend and for always being there for me. I can't wait to make more memories the next time we get to see each other.