Friends!

This week instead of writing about a news article I think I am going to write about my new friends I have made a VT and the old ones back at home. I really do love all of my friends…I would be a loner without them because I am an only child. Just joking…I still have my family J however my best friends are like my family. At home I visited one side of the family every Saturday and my other side every Sunday. My family is very close knit.

At home, I had tons of friends (I won friendliest for senior superlatives). There was no one that I would not talk to. I liked everyone; there was no one that I did not like. My high school was not like the high school’s you see on TV that have tons of clicks and you can only be a part of one click. Nope nothing like that, it was like a web…everyone had friends in all the “clicks.” Outside of school people hung out with different people but I think by senior year we all had a certain group of people we hung out with all the time. I know for me over the summer and before the high school football season on a regular base I hung out with about fifteen people. I am not sure how the “group” came to be. We had known each other for awhile and some people in the group I had known since I was five, but I am not sure how we all started hanging out. It is funny the way groups of people just form without any thought. We always had a blast together. Our nights ranged from catchphrase, board games, crazy dance parties (dancing in the rain, dancing in the street, dancing in the house, and dancing in the back yard), high school football games, volunteering (helped we were all in the same club), study groups (only once not really successful with a lot of people), pool, movies, always eating, etc. There was NEVER a dull moment with us. We were always at someone’s house hanging out; we lived at each other’s houses and our own. People always knew when the group had arrived because we would always take off our shoes before entering the house so there would be a pile of shoes in the entrance hall. I cannot explain enough that we were always together doing something, nothing ever serious because we were not serious people, but we knew when we needed to be. Shockingly enough we all went to college to be engineers. Only one or two of us did not.

I think our parents are happy to have time to do stuff for their self, but I think deep down they really miss us. One of the moms in the group is having an “empty nester party” for all the parents of the group of friends. In the group we were either only children or the last child in their family to graduate. Some have younger siblings but they are in the minority. I guess for our parents to stay connected without us there are going to have monthly potluck dinners. The last one I was told was a lot of fun and they are going to continue it next month.

Even though about 35 to 40 people from my high school and about half the “group” went here, I have still gone out and met new people. I believe college is a new adventure and time for a new start in life. So I hang out with my roommate and a bunch of other people all the time. My roommate and I did random (within Hypatia) and we ended up being just a like it is incredible. We get along so well!!! We hang out all the time. Tech could not have done a better job matching us up. I do not know how they did it since we only answered four questions. Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you stay up late? How neat do you keep your room? Maria (my roommate) and I have the same taste in almost everything…we did not plan it but our room matches perfectly.

All the other people I have met at Virginia Tech are amazing. We all hang out so much that we have inside jokes, fun movie nights, card games, etc. I have not met anyone mean. People here are so supportive, because when I need help or I did not do as well on something as I thought I did, there is always someone there. I know that this is just the beginning of college but it is so much fun! The classes are harder than I expected but that is okay I am figuring out what I need to do differently and hopefully that will help.

I really do miss all my friends from home! The ones that go to VT I talk to and visit when I can. College is defiantly going to be hard and busy, but I hope that I will always have time to stay in touch with all my friends back at home and that when we go back for breaks and such I will always have a connection with them. I know that the first four weeks I have been bad about calling and texting them, but that is something I hope to improve upon as the year progresses. In my defense, a phone call or a text goes two ways. My friends really do mean a lot to me; I would not be the person I am today without my best friends. It is hard to see it at the time but each and every person has a small impact on others. I am one of those people that normally do not see it while it is happening but as I reflect on it later, I do.

Everyone out there, that little song we learn when we are young is still true. “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.” Do not lose sight of your best friends from back at home but remember that life is changing so it is okay to go out a make tons of new friends. I guess try to call or text your friends at least once a week. I know I am. Sometimes a phone call from an old friend can make all the difference in the world.