At the beginning of my senior year I thought I had it all figured out. My best friend and I were going to go to the same college, room together, and we were planning the rest of our lives... Long story short, it didn't happen. I was devastated at first, until I went off to college and realized that the distance actually saved our friendship.

My best friend and I are very similar, but our differences are so extreme that they can really stand out at times. If we were to spend every waking moment together we might drive each other insane. However, I can't lie and say that, at first, there were some days that I didn't think I could get through without her. Having her by my side all the time and then quickly losing her physically was a huge adjustment. I had a hard time making new friends at first because I didn't want to lose my best friend back at home. Slowly, but surely, I started making friends at school that I could trust. I joined a sorority, had a job, and worked really hard in school. She had her own life too. She made her own friends, worked and had an equally challenging course load on her plate. We were both always busy and on-the-go.

We don't talk every day, I might see her once a month- if I'm lucky, and she has friends who can be at her side in a few minutes whenever she needs them. However, when we are together it's like nothing has changed. Sometimes I believe that our distance has saved our friendship. I often think about what might have happened if I had gone to school with her or at least in the same city. I feel as if our friendship wouldn't have grown as much as it has in the past year and a half. Challenges will always arise in any kind of relationship. Every obstacle we've faced has been so worth it in the end and I wouldn't trade my long-distance best friend for anything in the world.

Although I might not tell her, I think of my best friend every day. I think of her when I see the nursing students on campus, or when I run into the campus cat- knowing that she would make fun of it if she was here. I know that I can call her at 2 AM if I get into a huge fight with my boyfriend or if I'm just feeling down. I know that she will cry with and will have no shame when we get all up in our feelings for Grey's Anatomy. I know that someday she'll be in my wedding, and we can't wait for that day. I know all of this because God put her in my life, and has kept her around through thick and thin, for a reason.

"Together forever, never apart, maybe in distance, but never at heart."