Hey there! It’s been a while since I posted an article here on Her Campus, but your probably not even keeping track.
As usual, life gets busy. Between being a senior preparing to graduate, managing our Her Campus team, editing for the school newspaper, keeping up with classes, and having a part-time job I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water.
And when life gets busy, I tend to zone in and become distant from those around me. But this weekend I was reminded that no matter how focused I am on school, work, etc. I have some amazing friends that will always be by my side.
Last Friday was a hard day for me, we won’t go into detail because I don’t want to rehash the bad experience, but in short, that day was a low point for me. After texting my friends in our group chat about my bad day, I received a text about three hours later saying, “Kelly, we’re in your driveway.” I was shocked, I hadn’t seen my friends for at least two months and here they were at my house with smiles and gifts. They came inside, we talked and laughed for a few hours. It felt good. It felt right. I realized that I have friends who really care about me, especially when I’m struggling.
So, this article goes out to my friends: Annie, Jessica, and Rebekah. I am so thankful to have you all in my life.
To my hometown friends, who I’ve grown up with since elementary school, I know we have our moments and annoy the heck out of each other. For example, when we waste so much time making a simple decision about who is going to drive and where we are going to eat. Or when we know each other so well, that we purposefully push a button to get a reaction. Or when Annie and I want to strangle each other. I wouldn’t want to change anything about that. Other than my family, I don’t have permanent people in my life to count on, but I’ve begun to realize that you all have become a permanent part of my life.
We’ve stuck together for over 15 years, endured long-distance for almost four years, and now here we are, seniors in college about to graduate and take on the “real world.”
I’m hesitant about the future, but it helps to know that I have friends who will always support me. I like to think back on all the memories we have created over the years. There are too many stories and inside jokes to fit into this article, but one of my all-time favorite activities is our sunset drives. Especially, now as we continue to go our separate ways physically, I will always value those summer nights when one of us would text, and then we would all hop in the car and chase a sunset. Sometimes, we took photos, other times we just sat and enjoyed the scenery. Sometimes, we screamed to pop songs at the top of our lungs, and other times the radio was silent, and we talked. Sometimes, a sunset chase would turn into an ice cream run or lead to another adventure. I cherish these sunset drives with my friends because they always made me happy and were almost therapeutic. It was also just a time for my friends and me to check in.
I don’t think there are words to describe the bond we all have or how I feel when I’m with you guys, but I do know that I’m beyond grateful to have you all in my life. I know I probably don’t say it enough but thank you guys for being your true self and thank you for accepting me for who I am. You guys make me a better person and I am thankful for all that you do.
