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Daniela Alarcon

Professor Shahrazad Encinias

CAS 115

16 November 2023

Long-Distance Friendships

I remember when I heard my parents decide to migrate to the United States, the first thing

I thought was that I was not going to see loved ones in my life again. My friends were one of

them. I couldn't even say a proper goodbye to them. My parents told me not to mention to

anyone that we were going to migrate, so the last few weeks I tried to take advantage of every

little moment I had with my friends. I remember how I would randomly ask them for hugs and

how I tried to finish all the homework I had with them, like group projects, so they wouldn't lose

points. It was hard to keep a smile knowing that I might not see them again and it was even

harder trying to hold back the tears on the last day I was with them.

I still keep in touch with my friends, but it's not the same as being face to face. Since I

left, my group of friends has become closer to each other and although they try to include me, I

can always notice how disconnected I am from their lives. One of the things I've strived to do

whenever we have time is to meet, whether it's on Zoom or Google Meet. At first these meetings

were more frequent, but over time they became less constant, to the point of just having two

meetings a year. Honestly, I appreciate that my friends take the time to talk to me even though

they may be busy or because of the time difference they may be losing sleeping hours. This is

what makes me very grateful to have them as friends. At the same time, those meetings make me

wish I was in Guatemala. Watching them talk about university topics among themselves and trips

they have makes me want to be there to enjoy the same moments. I want to have the same
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problems they have, I want to have one more topic to talk about other than how I'm doing here.

But I guess that's the price you have to pay for being here.

In the future, I'm sure and hope we can reconnect, but whenever I think about it I wonder:

will it be the same? Will I have the same confidence? Or will we be like strangers? They are silly

questions knowing that I talk to them often, but whenever I imagine seeing them again, I picture

myself as a stranger, uncomfortable for not seeing them for so long, not knowing what to talk

about. What will I ask them? If all I know about them is whether they are studying or not, or the

love life of some. And their tastes? Will they be the same as when we were together? Do they

still like the same foods? Do we still share the same interests? Will they remember me? These

are questions that chase me every time I think about it and make me hate knowing that the first

true friendships I've had in my life have been separated by life.

I guess only time will tell what that moment will be like. In the meantime, I will try to

stay true to myself and always have them in my life.

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