My best friend lives 1,722 miles away (one day and nine hours). She moved away on July 9, 2022, and it has been over two years since I’ve seen her in person, yet she is still the closest and best friend I could ever ask for.

Long distance is a hard route, especially when it’s with a loved one. “About 40% of couples in long-distance relationships break up,” and the same statistics apply to long-distance friendships.

Most people won’t attempt a long-distance relationship due to the amount of work needed to maintain the friendship. However, this is the strongest friendship I’ve ever had.

Having a long-distance friendship requires high maintenance. For some, it may be fearful when trying to sustain so much hard work for a laborious relationship, but I am thankful for how my friendship has worked out.

Regardless, this friendship is so close; it doesn’t require high expectations, and we don’t expect too much from one another. My best friend and I talk every day. Even though we are hundreds of miles apart, we still know everything about each other and what’s going on in one another’s lives. I am very lucky to have a friendship that even distance cannot break.

It is devastating to have my favorite person live a thousand miles away, though I still couldn’t ask for a better friend. It is truly incredible to be able to tell someone everything in my life without fear of judgment or hate. This has fully allowed me to grow as a human being, having someone so close yet so far away from me.

There’s a special type of love between my long-distance friendship and the comfort of having somebody who loves me, understands me, and listens to me, even when we can’t physically be together. Whenever I feel upset or sad, I know I can tell her anything and cry to her without worrying about revealing too much.

Some of her family members happen to be in my grade and in classes with me, which is such an insane feeling to see people who share her blood. Every time I see someone she’s related to or see something on social media, it’s such a heartwarming feeling and draws me closer to her.

She’s taught me that family can also be built. And we will always be family in my eyes. It’s so touching to see her family and be reminded of how loving and incredible she is.

She has taught me what genuine kindness, compassion, and love are. I will forever treasure how strong distance has made my love for this girl, and she will always be my platonic soulmate, even 1,722 miles away.