Dear Uni Bestie,
How do I start? I honestly never thought I’d meet someone I’d consider one of my best friends after leaving high school. My best friends from back home are people I literally grew up with, known for decades, and have a standing invite to literally any life-changing event I might have. These people are hard to compete with and I never thought I’d meet someone just as important to me as them in my three years at university. But I’m so glad I did.
There have been and still are times when I question my decision to come to Sydney when everyone I love are a long ways away. My parents, teachers, and even friends, asked, “Why Australia?” and I never really had a real answer. I almost changed my mind but it was too late to apply anywhere else so I hoped with all my life that there would be something to let me know I chose wisely. And I got that something; I just never knew it’d be a someone.
You’ve been there for me since first year, letting me come over to study in your room when I got bored. I remember writing an essay while you were working and we would take a break every so often to drink and play battleship. That was the night my laptop mysteriously broke from goon. And then in second year, you were there for me when one of the very friends I grew up with died. I’ll admit, plenty of other people were there for me but you were the first and only person who didn’t treat me like I was mourning. Everybody else tiptoed around me, awkwardly hugged me, and told me I looked pretty while you talked about some random book I should read, Cloud Atlas (which I still haven’t, I’m sorry! I’ll get to it, I promise). You cheered me up most.
Then third year came and we didn’t hang out as much, which was my fault completely. We went from seeing and talking to each other everyday to not knowing the people in our lives anymore. Ironically though, this was the year I realised how great friends we are. I knew that if absolutely anything happened, menial or tragic, I could rekindle our friendship with a stupid pun. I realised that I've been busting my ass trying to create a life here because you were inspiring me to succeed like you have for as long as I’ve known you. You went through the same thing as I did, hell we even came from the same hometown without knowing each other, but you were doing so much better. You know exactly who you are regardless of where or who you’re with, you manage to keep your grades above average, and you make people fall in love with you immediately. You are the reason that I believe I can succeed.
And I know that maybe you don’t thing everything I've said about you is true or that you deserve all this praise. But I also know that I’m not lying. I’m not even exaggerating. So you don’t have to believe me now but I hope you’ll try. You’ll always have a special place in my inbox, in my heart, and in my life. I am so glad I met you. You make me believe that in all of my wrong turns and dead ends, I must be going the right way if I met you. Even more so, I must be an okay person for you to stick around.
Sincerely,
Image by K From the Mountain.
