I am 2,177 miles away from a place I once knew. I am a four-hour flight away from a home that holds endless memories for me. My view right now is not the busy city that I knew like the back of my hand. I am in a new place I now call home. I am surrounded by more nature than ever before, and when I walk around, I don’t hear the orchestra of city living that always kind of gives you a headache. 

Besides the blatant differences between Los Angeles and Michigan, I have first-handly experienced that you don’t truly understand how much you love something until you don’t have it anymore. For me, that was some of my friendships that I had to leave. It is more of a stretch than a complete ending to the friendship. 

I do miss my old life sometimes, but I also really appreciate where I am now. I have my days where it feels surreal that I am actually not there anymore, but I also have days when I couldn’t be happier. I see so many new faces, and I try, but usually fail, to learn all of these new names. This reminds me of the people I think about most: my friends back home.

When I was with some of my closest friends, I never thought that I wouldn’t be able to text them to go grab food or hang out almost immediately. Now that I am in that position, it makes me appreciate that they ever had a presence in my life. I think back to the summer when I was with friends and how I couldn’t wait for the next summer to arrive so we could do this all over again. When in reality, life shot that down really quickly because not even a few months later, I was gone. That assurance of friendship and someone to have by your side whenever in need of fun was halted. 

Although that sounds pessimistic, and it is brutal to go through at the moment, I have decided to make the best out of it. When I go to visit in the summer, it will be more exciting than before. The time separated can and will be made up. Friendship doesn’t need to be a side-by-side, or glued-at-the-hip relationship; it just needs to be one you can rely on. Most importantly being there for each other, no matter the distance. Whether it’s a phone call, plane, or car ride away. 

Things don’t stay the same forever. We all grow. Life can bring new experiences we could have never imagined but appreciating what you have and being present in every moment is necessary.  

Being in a new place has expanded my gratitude for the friends that were once with me almost every day. The assurance that they are there for you and you are there for them is the true meaning of friendship, no matter the distance.