It's so strange how friends come into your life. You have no clue how the relationship will turn out and your impressions of them will change drastically in a matter of seconds. I can say that as I begin my third year of college (it still freaks me out), that I have met some amazing people that I can say will be lifelong friends.

Before I moved, I was slowly getting used to not seeing some of my high school best friends everyday. We were all beginning our life elsewhere and that is a hard thing to transition to enough let alone not seeing your best friend everyday for 6 hours; telling them the latest drama in your life or your newest crush. No, you leave that all behind and though your relationship is still strong with your high school friends, you itch to find something new; someone who you can fall back on when the COLLEGE DRAMA occurs. You usually tell your high school friends about it on the phone later that night, but they're not there to get the full effect, they don't truly understand it, because whether we like it or not, we change in this chapter of our life and it isn't the same as before. It doesn't have the same effect it once had on you.

Anyway, I'm typing this because I just wanted to have some sort of closure in this part of my life. I am sad. Really sad. One of my best friends has just left for Spain and I won't be seeing her for 10 months. I met her in college. It was like yesterday, I remember meeting this beautiful, tall girl with these big blue eyes. I remember thinking, "Why is she talking to me? She is too beautiful to be talking to me?" Then she spoke and I found out she was a major book nerd who had dreams of exploring the city and expanding the depths of her mind in an unknown land just like me. She was loud, hilarious, sarcastic, and poetic. I ended up loving her by the time school started and I knew she was gonna be my best friend. She was there for all the craziness and all the mishaps of my life at SF State. She was there to listen to all my issues and she gave some of the best advice and kindest words that made me get through it all.

My emotions hadn't caught up with the idea that she would be gone until I talked to her last night. After I got off the phone, my heart felt heavy, but in a good way. Don't get me wrong, I was extremely sad but I have faith that we will stay in contact as much as possible. Though I won't be able to live those defining moments with her, I will be there to listen like I high school friend does when we enter college. It won't be the same, but it doesn't matter. When you're close enough as friends, then you'll always feel close to the raw emotions they will share with you; the life changing moments as long as they are willing to explain it to you as if you were sitting on their bed with their pillow close to your chest.

Laura, your purple pillows are close to my chest and I hope to be there listening every part of the way.

As she departs from LA and arrives to Spain, I feel like this will be the best years of our lives. I'm sad. I'm thrilled. I'm happy. I'm proud. I'm glad her dreams are coming true.

Laura Rose Fennell, I love you.

Looking Back at Last Year

It's funny to think back on my Sophomore year. I was an excited newbie in the RA world with goals of helping freshman adjust to life at school just as Asmeret had done for me. She was a role model in my life and I hoped to be that to others.

Long story short, being an RA was the path I was to take and instead, I lived a year's worth of stress, depression, and unhappiness. Never in my life had I felt so disappointed in myself and the way I treated others. Never in my life had I felt so unsatisfied with my life. For days, I would stay secluded in my room and ignore every problem that was thrust into my life. As if school and work weren't enough, the relationships I had with my closest friends were barely hanging on a string. It was too much. I worried myself sick about things that did not matter. My priorities were not in order.

At the end of the year, I was not only relieved but thankful that I was done with everything I tried so hard to maintain. And now, as I look back outside of the glass, I realize that the job was not cut for me. My heart wasn't in it and I wasn't serious about it. Though some people are, it just wasn't me. I am in a happier place now, in a home far enough away from campus where I can relax and take time off to think. Though many of my friends are still RAs, hearing them complain about how they didn't go to bed til 6am makes me absolutely thrilled that I don't have to deal with it anymore.

I told myself this year that I would work hard and assist people in my own way. I have many things in store that I am extremely excited about and I hope that I can share them with everyone. I am much more stable mentally and I feel that this is going to be an amazing year for me.

Many things have changed and my closest friends are gone exploring new places in the world. I know that it is best for us. I have faith that each and everyone one of us will learn just as much as we did last year with many trials and errors (which Alysha and I have already made lol). I just can't wait to hear the stories.

- Bree

PS- I am soooooooo tired. I just really want to sleep.