Letter to My Best Friend

To the one I miss most,

Words cannot express how much my heart yearns for you and our friendship. Ever since we were little, we imagined going through this story we call life together side by side. Now, thousands of miles apart, there is so much I want to say and tell you, but you just aren’t a ten minute drive away anymore. From being on the same page and schedule every moment of every day to constantly missing each other’s phone calls, it hurts to hear your voicemail. College is a different kind of beast, and as much as I love the new friends I’ve made, it just isn’t the same as our lifelong friendship. 

My best friend shares a part of who I am. My best friend understands how my mind works. My best friend is the first person I go to when I need to rant or share good news. I never truly understood how much my best friend meant to me until I got to college.

Sometimes I feel guilty. I feel guilty because I think back at the times when I took my best friend for granted. The countless “I can’t talk right now I’m busy” moments are burned into my mind. It seems dramatic, but I miss my best friend more than I ever have before. In college, I’m constantly experiencing new things and situations. Sometimes with these new situations come a sense of worry and apprehensiveness. College is a journey that is constantly changing, and all I want at times are things that I know are concrete — like my best friend. 

I remember my first night at college. Before going to bed, I called my best friend. I remember telling her that I just felt the need to call her because it was comforting to hear her voice amidst all of the change that I was going through. I filled her in on my first day of college: the ups, the downs, and everything in between. I made sure to tell her everything. Long gone were the days of my best friend constantly being right by my side, experiencing these impactful life changes with me. All of a sudden, my other half wasn’t there to complete me. It was in that moment that I realized the impact my best friend had on my life. 

Now that we live thousands of miles apart, there is so much I wish I had said to my best friend before we parted our own separate ways. I wish I had expressed how much I valued her presence. I wish I had shown the amount of love I had more often. I wish I didn’t take her for granted in those moments. 

I know you’re just a phone call or text away, but sometimes that just doesn’t do it justice. Through the tears and laughter, you’ve been my rock. For that, I want to say thank you. I never said it growing up. I simply didn’t say it enough. Having you around used to be so normal, but now it’s so rare. While we don’t live in the same place anymore, we always know how to pick things up right where they left off when we reunite. For all the moments I never said it, thank you. Thank you for being my best friend. I wouldn’t be who I am without you.