How I survived College (A tribute to my girls)

In an episode of Scrubs, J.D. once commented "I challenge anyone to survive being an intern without a close-knit group of friends". I have found the same is true of college- it would be impossible to survive without a close group of friends. While I have found some amazing friends throughout my years at UNK, this column is dedicated to the four girls who have remained closest and have helped me get through the best-and worst- years of my life.

I'll start with Laci (the girl in bottom photo), who has been like a little sister to me for about 18 years now. Aside from my older brother, Laci's the first person I call in a crisis and one of the people I confide in with issues I don't feel comfortable discussing with my brother. Though she moved to Cheyenne, WY, we have remained close, scheduling visits with each other every few months and talking on the phone a couple times a week. Laci is now married, and enrolled in a prestigious, demanding physical therapy program, but still manages to take time for her friends. Though I've met some amazing people, no one can replace my "little sister" and close friend. While we grown and changed dramactically, we've never grown apart and our friendship has not changed. For this I am very grateful.

I'll move on to Kayla and Laken, (in the top left photo) who are part of an inseperable group of three with me. Kayla and I have known each other our entire life and Laken met us in junior high when our schools consolidated. Our group has not always had smooth sailing, in fact, there were moments (not within the last 5 years, though) that we'd go long periods without speaking or flat out fueding. I think the dissention is what has made our friendships so special, however. After we got through all the petty early stuff, we realized that if we had made it this far, we'd probably just always be friends. Though Kayla and Laken are now married, Laken is pregnant, and both have matured into fully repsonsible adults (I still have a long way to go in this category) we make it a point to continue making time for each other. We see each other every couple months, email frequently and call and text each other on a regular basis. We have already scheduled our next get-together, which I am eagerly looking forward to. Kayla is a unique friend because she is genuinely compassionate and kind. She is very unselfish, and I can count on her to give me good moral advice on even the smallest issues. Kayla is the person I call when I want an answer that has good moral, religious background. She is alway my phone call when the issue seems trival because she always treats it seriously. Laken is special because she is completely honest and forgiving. I can always count on Laken to tell me the truth, even when no one else will or it's hard for me to hear. She also is a big believer in seeing the good in others and giving second chances. These girls have got me through the craziest years of my life, and I love them for this.

And finally, we move on to Shelly (top right photo), who I met while attending UNK. Though I have known her the least amount of time, she has easily moved into this category along with my other lifelong friends. Shelly got me through some of the worst college moments, from going on ice-cream breaks with me during "dead week" (which is way worse than finals week, strangely) to crying with me after my break-up with a four-year boyfriend. It's because of my friendship with Shelly that I've learned how to enjoy college, from dancing to shopping to studying and everything in between. Shelly is the logical friend, who has the rare talent of removing emotion from a situation and seeing it objectively. She has helped me do the same with my predicaments several times, which has helped immensly. She is also a talented writer and I plan on reading her books someday. I couldn't have made it through this past year without her.

So there ya have it, a rarely mushy blog from a hardcore cynic. (Or, as Kayla would say, someone who pretends to be but really isn't. Not sure if that's true, but I love that she calls me out on it).