Maintain relationships far from home

%28From+left+to+right%29+Gerardo+Gutierrez%2C+Tyrell+Whitaker%2C+and+Charlie+Ojbion+became+friends+after+having+similar+classes+and+getting+to+know+one+another.+Photo+credit%3A+Dominique+Wood

(From left to right) Gerardo Gutierrez, Tyrell Whitaker, and Charlie Ojbion became friends after having similar classes and getting to know one another. Photo credit: Dominique Wood

Dear best friend from high school,

It’s been a while since we’ve spoken. Being an adult takes up a lot of time, especially since I attend school, work, and try to maintain a social life. I know this is no excuse.

I miss you. I promise that I really miss you. I miss our long car drives, our late-night ice cream runs, going to our high school football games and so much more.

You are such a big part of who I am today. We became friends in high school, which is such a critical time in a person’s life. High school students are just trying to figure out who they are (I still am) and hoping they make it out of high school.

You were always there for me – no matter what. You were there for the good times and the bad.

There’s so much I want to know. I feel like I don’t even know who you are anymore. Did you finally get up the courage to go talk to that cute guy in your biochem class? Did you and your roommate end up liking each other or are you two still driving each other insane?

That’s when I realized how long it’s been since we’ve talked. These things were going on during the first week of school. It’s been almost a month since then. A month since I’ve heard your laugh or your funny stories about all of your new adventures.

Maybe that’s why we’ve grown apart. Sometimes when we talk, I feel like you’ve changed so much that I don’t even know who you are anymore.

I wonder how much you’ve changed. I know I’ve changed a lot. I guess that’s just a part of college – people change.

People always talk about long-distance relationships and how they’re doomed from the start, but no one ever talks about long-distance friendships.

No one talks about how hard it is to see your best friend get a new best friend. Don’t get me wrong – I’m glad you’re making new friends. I’m glad you’re enjoying college because you deserve it, but that doesn’t change the fact that I wish you were here with me.

I promise that I’m going to make more of an effort to stay in touch. I’m going to call more and maybe even drive to your college and see your new life. I want to see your amazing, fun, stressful, hard and crazy college life. Most of all, I want to be a part of it.

I think I’m going to go give you a call now.

Love,

Your high school best friend.

Brooke Martin can be reached at [email protected] or @bmartin471 on Twitter.