to my best friends:

People always say that you really lose touch with your high school friends once you go away to college. And I guess I can see where those people are coming from when they say that, but I'm also willing to bet that they weren't talking about best friends either. Because the friends that you can call up and put together a random bonfire with last minute, or the friends that you can just wander down the street to see and end up watching them bake cupcakes for hours while secretly eating their delicious chocolate icing...those are the friends that you'll never lose contact with. Because you won't let it happen. Because they won't let it happen. And those are the best kind of friends. The kind of friends you can cruise around in the summer heat with and listen to the same songs over and over again without getting bored. Because these are the friends from high school that I will never ever forget.

They are the friends that will always make this little city feel like home. Who I will always look forward to seeing around the holidays. Who I will always reminisce about "the olden days" with. Who I'll sit up late with, eating ice cream and looking at all of our old photos...putting together every detail of every day that we spent together. These are the friends I've grown up with. Who have helped me become who I am today. Who have not only helped me grow, but who have grown with me. They're a part of me. And for them, I am forever grateful. Because all of you make these summers back at home so worthwhile and so unforgettable.  Thank you to all of my best friends, who make me laugh every single day. And who make me realize just how lucky I am to be surrounded by such talented and inspiring people.

feeling incredibly blessed.