I now know what they mean.
My last year of school I lived in a sorority house with forty-three other girls. Our days were spent going to class and part-time jobs, taking advantage of 24/7 food and drink; and when we weren't doing that, we spent time on the sofa watching your typical girl shows, going to restaurants and to bars, and working out. There was always someone to go on a walk with, to get margaritas with (translation for court, rum and diet), or someone to simply sit with and vent to.
Privacy was a rare gem while living a 24-hour sleepover; but we knew better than to under appreciate everything, because we knew we'd never live it again.
What a drastic change and adjustment it has been living in a small apartment with one roommate, working full time, and paying for everything from rent to a granola bar. All of my days are spent working in a trendy office in downtown Birmingham (which I love!), but I often find myself staring at the impeccable weather outside that I used to debate skipping class for. (That probably wouldn't fly with my job.) When not working, I love the feeling of leaving work behind and bringing my personal life to the forefront. I go to the YMCA or meet a couple close friends (who I'm fortunate to take with me from college) at a cool bar for the drink specials. It truly is so relaxing to just shoot the shit, but I do miss those nights walking from the sorority house to the strip on a Tuesday night, on a whim, with a group of twenty.
Now those twenty friends I came to know very well and see regularly have all gone various directions, including myself—some finishing school, some pursuing masters degrees, some traveling, others working. We can't possibly keep up with each other... and how ridiculous would it be to call each and every friend every. single. day? In the days of college life, you couldn't help but be in others' business. It was easy. Now it takes, not necessarily effort, but an understanding. Entering life after college is inevitable and exciting, and we must know that our worlds are going to shrink, especially in our friendships and the time spent maintaining those friendships.
I think I speak for the rest of my friends when I say, a lack of constant communication doesn't mean: A. I don't like you B. I have forgotten you or C. I don't care abut you or D. I will never see you again. And when deciding that 'OK, today is the day I am calling ____ ' we must know it is nothing personal that I have not called you or come to visit you in a long time. And I am talking three months even. We must understand that the point of the conversation is to say hey and catch up a bit. The whole emotional aspect of 'OMG college is over, I miss you, you're my friend, why haven't you called me more?' has to be cast aside.
Things are just different now, and that is OK. We can still meet back in our college town, go on an annual trip and capitalize on all forms of social media. We will make new friends in our smaller, post college worlds, move even further away. But NOTHING will change the great times we had in our big world of hanging out on the J, raiding the kitchen, using birthdays as an excuse to go out, and life with Grant B.
I love you friends, and I'll call you all soon-ish.
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