I watched you play your violin since the seventh grade. I remember you used to make this awful face during concerts, it was like you were painfully smiling with your teeth to show how much you ‘liked’ some gross casserole your mom made for dinner. It was the funniest thing!

At your concert the other night I couldn’t believe the amount of progress you’ve made since middle school. I’ve watched you slowly become an amazing violinist and I didn’t even notice it. I didn’t notice how much we have grown together until I saw you take a bow after your beautiful solo.

When we first met I was this little kid who had no filter at a church camp and you were a shy girl who barely said anything at all. I didn’t know you when I started casually chatting about the last time I shaved my legs, and I still didn’t know you when I beat a girl up for talking badly about you at that same church camp.To this day I am still talking about the most nonsense things, and you are still holding me back from starting a fight we both know I would lose.

Trying to say goodbye to you is like breathing on the moon. It’s really difficult, but with the right equipment I can do it. It’s too bad I don’t have a moonsuit because right now I’m suffocating. The thought of you leaving and going to Boston literally brings me to tears. After you told me you officially committed to your university I was so proud of you. I couldn’t believe that my little Jordyn had gotten out of this place and was ready to start her next chapter in such a huge place. I’m so extremely proud of everything you’ve done. After I was done being a proud dad whose kid got into a great college the friend side of me came flooding out.

I got home that night and cried. I cried because I was happy for you but mostly because I’m afraid that I will not know how to function with you so far away. I know we already spend most of our time apart from each other, but you’re always here when I need you. You’re always a phone call and a ten minute drive away, you always have been. I’m afraid that our easy going friendship won’t last the distance of a 39 hour road trip.

I’m sure it will because it survived the one year hiatus of freshman year. You remember that, I was a brat and thought I was cooler than you but when I lost everyone by the beginning of sophomore year you were still there for me. Thank you for that by the way. You didn’t need to be so nice to me after everything, but you were. Hopefully if our friendship can survive a bad makeup birthday party, all of middle school, the black hole that was freshman year, and not talking for months because we’re comfortable with that, well then may it can survive a 2,584 mile distance.

You’ve done so much for me over the years and I cannot thank you enough for being there for me. I’ve been at my lowest points and even though we don’t talk about our feelings much, you have been supportive and caring. You have become something more than a friend but less than a sister to me, and I don’t know how to describe it. Without you I would be someone completely different. Without you I would be someone I don’t like.

Jordyn, I love you so much. I love all the times I’ve forced you to take care of me when I’m sick. I love how when I say my back hurts you immediately respond with “My neck… My back…”. I love how we can watch Chopped together and laugh about Ted’s shoes and immediately after we can switch to Hannibal and laugh about all the cannibalistic jokes. I love how we can go months without talking to each other and pick up exactly where we left off. You’re my best friend and I love you so much. I’m so amazingly proud of all that you have become.