Marissa and our situation

   “Make new friends but keep the old one is silver and the other is gold.”

 This semester I’ve overcome many different obstacles but there is one situation I found particularly challenging. In January of 2009 I became really close with a girl who I had been in school with for 2 years at the time. I invited her to my 17^th birthday party and ever since that day we became inseparable.  She didn’t have her license or a car so whenever I needed a friend to tag along with me she was always there. When I was upset about anything or mad at my parents I would just drive to her house and watch endless episodes of Law and Order SVU. People began to look at Marissa and I as more than just friends; they looked at us as sisters and knew that if I was going somewhere that she would be right beside me. When she got accepted into Uconn and I didn’t, we knew that at the end of the summer we would be saying goodbye. The time came for that day and when it arrived come to my surprise it wasn’t as sad as I thought it was going to be. This is because we knew deep down we would never lose touch, we’d call everyday and see each other as much as we could. The first week of school, Marissa and I talked religiously every day. She told me that she felt like this school was just too big and she wasn’t making that many friends. This is mainly because we come from a very small school where everyone knows everyone and its very easy to meet and associate with people. Hearing this news from Marissa broke my heart. I knew it was only the first week but I never thought Marissa, the friendliest and nicest person I know would have the problem of making friends. On the other hand, I wasn’t so sure that I belonged where I was either. I wasn’t missing home but I was missing my friends. After a week of keeping to myself, a week of being shy and reserved I decided I needed to put myself out there. I refused to sit in my dorm room and I nervously put myself out there.  Marissa and I stopped talking every single day. We learned through our on strengths and weaknesses that its ok to make new friends because no one person could replace our friendship. For me the biggest obstacle this semester was leaving my old friends and putting my trust in other people to make new ones. I’ll never let go of my old friends as a matter of fact i'm sitting with Marissa right now as I write this blog. I’m happy to have opened up and made new friends.