It feels crazy to be sitting here writing this as I wrap up my first year of college. Looking back and reflecting on this past year, I truly don’t think I would have made it through without my closest friends just a phone call away. While it may not seem like an incredible distance, coming to Pittsburgh from Chicago has been a huge adjustment for me. Being an out-of-state student in general has been difficult and isolating at times. I can’t even count the number of times that I thought about transferring. But I’m really glad that I didn’t.
Before coming to college, I had doubts and hopes for what this new stage of my life would bring. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to make friends easily. Whenever I expressed these doubts, I was always met with the simple answer: “Don’t worry, everyone else is in the same boat.” But what I wasn’t told was that this boat is pretty small, and that there isn’t always enough room for everyone in it. I found myself pushed out at times, bobbing aimlessly in unfamiliar waters. I struggled to find my place amongst all these people who seemed to somehow already know and understand one another. I was utterly homesick, missing my family and friends more than anything.
But the one thing that I knew I could always count on—even if I was struggling in my classes or feeling left out among peers—was my high school friend group. Our group chat with the stupid, silly name and the even sillier group photo was my lifeline. If I was ever feeling down, if I was excited about something or even if I just had a random thought to share, I turned to them. And I knew I would always be heard. Boredom was alleviated in group FaceTime calls; anxiety diffused in rounds of 8 Ball on GamePigeon; excitement increased tenfold in planning our next outings together on shared Notes app pages. Somehow, no time-zone difference could keep us from calling each other to swap stories or complain about schoolwork or watch pixelated live streams of Taylor Swift performing her surprise songs at the Eras Tour shows. Long-distance relationships are hard. Even platonic ones, though that may sound dumb. They take effort. But if you have something truly valuable, then no amount of distance can break that bond.
Her Campus is one of my favorite clubs that I’ve gotten involved with this year. I’m so glad that I found this space to write freely about all the random thoughts I have throughout the day. And I am so unbelievably grateful that my hometown friends—who have probably heard me rant about everything I write about before it’s published—still take the time to read my articles. One of the most special feelings that everyone should get to experience sometime in their life is the feeling of being seen and heard unabashedly. From hugging to sobbing to scream-singing together, my hometown friends have seen every single side of me. And they haven’t loved me any less for my not-so-attractive moments. I am forever grateful for that.
All of this is really just to say that I love my long-distance best friends, who have made going to school far from home exponentially easier to bear. You guys have been with me through everything, and even with 2,000 miles between some of us, you are closer to my heart than you could ever imagine. With the year coming to a close, I am sad to leave the friends and the life that I have made for myself here in Pittsburgh. But, at the same time, I cannot wait to see my hometown friends once again. I think if a year of college has taught me anything, it’s that life is a fine balance. You have to be willing to make sacrifices but also know when to put yourself and your own well-being first. I may have learned how to put this principle into practice this past year, but it’s a value that has been with me in my friendships all along. This is certainly a cliche, but I genuinely think one of the most important things to remember is not to take what you have for granted—because you never really know how much you’ll miss it until it’s a thousand miles away!