Promises to My Best Friend All Those Miles Away

Dear Best Friend,

I’m sorry I left you. You know all of my reasons for leaving, so I don’t have to reiterate them here, but know if there was ever a reason to stay, you’d be it. We’ve been best friends for half our lives at this point. We saw each other through those horribly awkward years and somehow we survived. It was touch and go there for a while, but I can’t imagine trying to navigate my adult life without you in it.

I don’t know how to adult. You don’t either really, which makes figuring it all out together so much better and less scary. I tried to get you to come with me, but damn adult responsibility wouldn’t let you. Don’t think I didn’t contemplate how to kidnap you and your kids and stow you away on the plane because I did. It sucks that I can’t come over and mooch off your air conditioner and Hulu. It sucks trying to figure out if you’re busy when I’m having a crisis because of the time difference. As much as I didn’t want to leave you, I hope you know that you’re still my best, most treasured friend, despite the distance.

I promise to reach out to you (damn near) every day.

One of the hardest things about leaving you is leaving the ease of communicating with you pretty much whenever I want. We speak nearly every day, through some form of communication — text, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat. There’s no reason we can’t continue to talk regularly using those methods. The best part of the time difference is that sometimes as I’m just getting up in the morning, something interesting has already happened to you. I may not be the first to hear about it, but it’s a great way to start my day. So even if it’s just to send you a new meme, you’ll hear from me.

I promise I won’t replace you.

Because honestly, no one can replace you. You know way too much shit about me. I don’t have the energy to try to break in someone new like that. Of course I’m going to have new friends, but trust me, they’ll never be as good as you. History is a crucial part of best friendship, and I don’t have that with anyone else.

I promise I’ll always come to you for advice first.

Because again, you know too much shit about me. Only you can tell me when I’m being a total bitch or a complete wimp. Your brand of tough love is the only kind that actually motivates me to get my shit together and stop being a coward. Mainly because you make good on your threats.

I promise I won’t forget any important days in your life.

Because I remember your birthday already (celebrating it for so many years pretty much cemented that). All the other important dates are in my planner. The gift may be late (you know how I feel about the post office) but something’s coming.

I promise we’ll get that tattoo someday.

You know, whenever we can mutually agree on what to actually get.

I promise that my door is always open.

I know I’m not really all that easy to get to now, but you can call me from the airport and say that you’re on your way and I will make sure I change the sheets just for you. I might even clean, but you know that’s not likely, because we are BFFs and you already know I’m a mess.

And lastly, I promise that you’ll always be my best friend.

You can call me sappy now, you bitch, I know you’ve been thinking it the entire time. Probably rolling your eyes. But guess what? I don’t fucking care because I love you. Now answer my goddamn text.

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