Last week, my friends gave me this idea to write my last blog of undergrad about my friends. So here I am, because they are right. They absolutely changed my university experience. And they deserve more than just a post, but this moment is for them.

There are friends that came and went, and some that stayed for the whole course of undergrad. A weird scene seeing how much can change in just four years. Especially with the people I have surrounded myself with. Seeing how social circles shift because we are growing and maturing and realizing who is filling our cups.

I feel like I went through the motions these past four years, and I don’t think I would be where I am if I didn’t have the amazing humans that I met along the way. In my moments of reflection, it is where I realize how much my friends fill my cup. And how much the right people can support me, and show me what it is to be a true friend. Because all in all, that is all I try to be. A good friend. Someone who supports and cares and empathizes and only wants the best for friends. ALWAYS. So also to be shown this from the people I choose to surround myself with is just a gift in itself. And during such a transitional time where I am not only growing but learning a lot about myself, it can be extremely grounding.

This is what I might miss the most. Being able to go to my friends student houses within minutes. Making spontaneous plans. Studying for hours on end with my classmates, my roomies, or my friends. Experiencing every emotion possible and living with my roommates 24/7. Going to our student bar five minutes from our house on a random Sunday to see karaoke. Walking to our favourite pizza place at 3am. Running around Hamilton experiencing all the coffee shops, Supercrawl, restaurants, vintage shops. All this with my some of favourite people.

And I know things are going to change, and new amazing humans will be met. But I feel like these past four years, while school has been my full-time job (even with Barista-ing), has felt like a vacation getting to live with my friends in a place that once was so unfamiliar I felt like I was in a bubble. It’s hard to leave something I have become so accustomed to. And to be honest, it’s scaring me that I have to leave it so soon.

But I have to remind myself that change is good. And it’s sometimes necessary. Because that’s just life’s path. And even if distance between friends changes, the bond doesn’t (as cheesy as that sounds). It’s just another path of growing. Which is OKAY! Growing is good and always a part of life. I feel like this is just me trying to prevent a bit of a spiral from ending school. My daily reminders to myself.

So to the amazing humans that made these past four years absolutely unforgettable, I couldn’t thank you enough for your impact on my life. MY PEOPLE ARE AMAZING, and I will say that for the rest of time.

 

ANYWAYS

 

STAY KIND

with love

grace <3