I don’t remember it exactly, but it was my first horse show. You were there, sitting in the corner of your horse’s stall, and Chloe introduced me to you. We talked for a while before getting ready, and little did I know that we would become so close and share so many memories. 

It’s challenging to write about a lengthy period of time because there’s so much to share; some of my favorite memories take place traveling to horse shows. I look back on my Snapchat pictures and reflect on the time we spent together in Illinois at National Show Horse Finals. It all started at the Quaker Steak when our waiter came back with heaps of licorice. After, we approached a sketchy Dairy Queen right next to the restaurant, and we got flurries, but mine tasted like gasoline. Then, we stopped by our favorite convenience store, Love’s. I got to see all of the odd items they sold, such as natural armor. I bought my Illinois frog, and you bought a mask that I somehow still have. 

Another one of my favorite memories with you is the dance party that we held in my garage. When I say this, it sounds like we invited many people over and had a humongous party, but it was just us. We played some of our favorite songs and danced our hearts out, but by the end, we were so sweaty, and it was hard to breathe. 

The lights were off, so we brought our creative minds together, grabbed my remote control LED plug-in lights from my room, and plugged them into the outlets. We also traveled downstairs to pick up my Amazon Alexa and plug that in too. This is why I love our friendship so much—we were able to have fun with just each other. No phones, no other people, just us dancing in my garage and taking it to the next level. 

While having flashbacks of the many times we’ve been together, sleepovers and horse shows are by far the most significant. While we can’t be at the same barn or on the same team, we remain the closest friends and cheer each other on in the ring. I love this about us. It shows that no matter what could bring us apart, we know nothing ever will.  

From chatting throughout the night to learning various TikTok dances and being our crazy selves, some of my most memorable moments have been spent by your side. I hope to continue making these memories for more of the years to come. 

Thank you for being my best friend, Addie.