Tribute

You know how in college, everybody talks about those friends that you make that you’ll have for the rest of your life? When I first went to college, I was very anxious about finding these supposed friends. For the first couple of months, everyone I met, I asked myself if they were “that friend”. The beginning of college was full of meeting amazing people, many of whom I still know and love. But I somehow expected to perfectly fall into a “group” of inseparable friends like you see in the movies. When I didn’t really feel like I had anything quite like that after the first semester, I thought maybe they just weren’t there, and I even considered transferring and trying to find my perfect friends elsewhere. Boy, am I glad I stuck it out.

In February of my freshman year at APU, I was squished into the backseat of a car on my way to the beach to go camping. This was a trip I was very close to backing out on. Thank God I didn’t! Little did I know, the strangers that I was squished in the back seat with, would be my lifelong friends! When I first met them, I thought there was no way that they would want to be my friend when we got back to campus. They were way too pretty to want to be friends with someone like me! That weekend, we bonded over a flat tire on the side of the road, taught each other how to do cartwheels on the beach, built sand castles, and enjoyed deep conversation around a bonfire.

When we returned to real life on campus, I was amazing that they actually did call me, and did want to hang out with me! The following months were spent getting to know each other better and expanding my circle of friends. I feel like it was during these months that I really came alive. Leaving school that summer, I really felt sad to leave these girls that I finally met and loved. But I knew that it was a good sign that I didn’t want to leave them.

The next few years, we made memories galore. We had countless beach trips, days exploring Pasadena, ‘study’ sessions in coffee shops, hikes through different foothills, cooking dates, sleepovers, etc. and bonded as roommates and friends. We spent summers flying across the country to see each other in our respective ‘home lands’. These girls made my college experience what it was. No. More than that. They shaped me into who I am. They have brought me so much laughter and creativity into the last 5 years of my life. They have challenged my perspectives, expanded my understanding, encouraged me beyond description. They have taught me about honest and authentic love. They have seen me through some of the darkest times of my life, and let me walk with them through theirs. Through it all, their love and faithful friendship never waivered. They are truly amazing women. We each come from different parts of the country (Iowa, Colorado, Washington, Arizona), and now, we are literally scattered around the world (Iowa, Colorado, Saudi Arabia, North Africa). But one year after college, I have truly realized that true friendships are strong. They last through changing seasons of life, and are reliable and consistent, no matter what the circumstances. And they are necessary.
I have been living in Iowa City for over a year now, and with how busy I have been, I have not had the time to invest in new, deep friendships. It’s just the nature of the beast of being a student/teacher/nanny/lawn mower/gym-worker/tutor/piano teacher, etc. Yet, the friendships I carry from college are so sturdy that I still feed off of them and receive so much love and support from them, and still feel the desire to pour into them no matter how crazy life is. I didn’t know what to expect when we all scattered across the world, but I am so thankful for the continuation and effort made in these friendships despite less-than-ideal circumstances. They continue to shape me, and I am eternally grateful.

Do you have friends like this? If so, how did you get to know them? What do you appreciate most about them? I’d love to hear your story.