The Best Days

There’s one thing they don’t tell you and it took having to watch many people leave my life for me to fully understand it. The sophs and your parents, brothers, and sisters don’t talk about it because of the simple fact that they don’t want to remember the pain. They don’t tell you that in time, you will have to say goodbye. They don’t tell you that you’ll have to watch your best friend take apart his desk and watch him board a plane home while you sit there not being able to do a thing. They don’t tell you that instead of asking someone what their plans for the summer are, you will be asking what they’re doing for… well, forever. We’re no longer allowed to stay within our beautiful Western bubble that we have grown to cherish so much and hold so dearly. We have all been told that we will make promises, right? In those promises, we will tell each other that we’ll stay in touch. In the past, for our parents and much older siblings or cousins, these promises could only be kept for so long. But thanks to platforms like Facebook, we are able to stay in touch and keep up to date with life’s happenings more easily than ever.

However, keeping in touch won’t be the same as living but a quarter block away from each other and frequenting the same bar three times a week. Being able to see someone over a screen and venting about your horrible bosses and being able to sit on your friend’s couch and complain about a prof together are two very different things. Proximity plays a key part in maintaining friendships. As much as we all don’t want to admit it, it does. How far are you going? How far am I going? Realistically, holidays aren’t thrown out to entry level positions that we will both be employed as next year, so when will I see you? When will you see everyone? Your crew? The Boys? The Girls? Your group? When will be the next time you’ll all be together? Ever? It’s a scary thought. But it’s realistic, and everyone knows it. No one prepares us for saying goodbye, though. Why? Sure, over the years, some of your crew/the boys/the girls will be able to get together and try to relive the feeling we get now, but it won’t be quite right. The loud laugh. The off hand comment. The disconcerting look from the responsible one in the group. Something will always be missing. Nothing will be the same.

It won’t be the same, well unless you make that effort. You have the opportunity to decide that this won’t be bye forever. That this is only to be goodbye for right now. Don’t be complacent in the near future, be adventurous. Make the time in the future where you create the opportunities to see each other and count the days until you are together again. But most importantly, cherish the time you have together. Finish up your Western bucket list. Do that one last thing.  But, most importantly, say what you need to say. Kiss who you need to kiss. Do what you need to do. Do everything in your power to make sure you remember these days as the best days of your life, because they were, right? Don’t forget these days and cherish the memories you have made with the people who kept you coming back to London with a smile of anticipation for every moment you spent together.