Friendship...

Hey guys. It’s Jake coming to you live from the Bluegrass Parkway. Don’t worry; I am in the passenger seat! It is fall break at Transy. Originally my plans did not include going home. I don’t have a vehicle and it would mean several four hour drives for my parents.(To Lexington, back home, to Lexington again, and back home again!) However pressing circumstances have occurred. Sadly, my best friend’s dad passed away this weekend. In response, my other best friend, who goes to a nearby college, and I are heading home to be with her.

Though the circumstances aren’t exactly ideal, this is a good time to talk about friendship. I know when I was planning for college I had a hard time dealing with the fact that I would be going to a separate college than all of my friends. My circle of friends in high school had a very diverse mix of personalities. As such, we had diverse needs in a college. Naturally, we all had to choose somewhere different to cater to those specific needs.

I won’t lie, leaving friends behind sucks. To balance it out, though, meeting new friends is really great. The best part of it all is that your “high school friends” will always be there. Though you may not talk on the phone every day, though you may only see each other on breaks, nothing changes. When you do get to see your friends again, no matter what distances between schools separate you, it is just like it was in "old times".

Making new friends at Transy has been a great experience. No new group of friends, however, can ever replace an old group- but that is great! Now I have an even wider and more diverse number of friends. Never look for a replacement in friends, it won’t happen.

To use names that probably won’t mean much to you, but mean the world to me: I could never find an Elise at Transy- no one is corny, zany, or goofy enough. Nor could I find a Bre anywhere else. No one is caring, wise, and awesome enough. I would never find a Shelley anywhere else-- no one is sufficiently hardworking, blunt, and loyal enough to come close.

I can, though, find a Cory at Transy, someone who brings intelligence, creativity, and quirkiness into every conversation. I can find a Quincy, a perfect mix of sarcasm and thoughtfulness. I can find a Kelsi- the best rep of the “North Side” Lexington has to offer, and I can find an Anna, the nicest Arian/Nazi you will ever meet! (Just a note- she isn’t really a Nazi, it is definitely an inside joke politely poking fun at her 'perfect' blond hair and blue eyes).

Once you get to College, no matter what college you do eventually choose, your life will be enhanced. You will gain awesome new friends (don’t worry, I promise you that you will) but you won’t lose your old ones, and if, heaven forbid, something happens where you need your friends, both from college and high school, by your side they will come calling-- even if it means a four hour drive home and missed classes.

Until Next Time,
Jake Ryan Hawkins