Despite not being in school anymore, this time of year surprisingly still feels like a new beginning. Though there are no major changes going on in my life right now (#blessed), some very close people in my life are going through changes and it’s been affecting me too. Some are starting college or graduate school, some are starting a new job, and some are taking on new roles (like fiancé and mother). Thanks to social media, I never miss anything. Although I’m eternally grateful that we have these technological capabilities because it makes my world feel smaller, there are also moments when I’m watching my brother’s graduation on FaceTime or taking a tour of my best friend’s new apartment on Skype that I can’t help but start to miss them more than I did before I called. It’s amazing, but frustrating because you’re so close but you’re not actually there. For me, it’s these important moments that I miss out on when I feel the distance the most.

Luckily, this has gotten easier because it’s been a year now since I moved to LA and I have people in my life here who make me feel like the best version of myself, and like this city is my home. I do love meeting new people and moving to a new city has truly been the greatest adventure but it’s sometimes frustrating to not be able to share it with the people who encouraged me to follow my dreams and move to LA in the first place.

When I find myself getting caught up in these thoughts, I always pull myself out of it with the same realization: I’m so lucky to have relationships like these because it’s not so common in the real-world. Being in school and constantly surrounded by people with whom you have things in common, made it easy to make new friends every day. After that, you aren’t really surrounded by a “grade” or a “class” and kind of left to fend for yourself.

My younger brother moved into college this past weekend and it made me think a lot about the first time I left home and truly dealt with distance. I realized that it’s the first time I learned about which relationships are important, which ones aren’t and how to tell the difference. Every time I move, it becomes clear in a matter of months which relationships are going to last my lifetime and which ones won’t. It’s sometimes predictable but other times it’s surprising who you end up keeping connections with. I’m thankful for how it’s worked out so far because the relationships that have lasted are that much more solid and these people are foundation of my sanity.