Friends Like Me

Each time I move to a new place, I meet and make friends who are more and more like me.

Maybe it's because I get better at seeking out and cultivating friendships with people who I think are interesting, kind, and have many common interests with me.

Or maybe with each friend I make, I'm the one who changes to be more like them than the best friend whom I left behind at my previous home.

Regardless, it's interesting to think that many people avoid relocating homes out of fear of losing friends or not making any new friends. My experience has been the opposite. I say this at the risk of offending my friends of past homes, but I hope they read this in good faith. When I moved to the Bay, I became friends with ambitious, compassionate people--. I was most close to friends who would pull all-nighties with me, accompany me to community rallies and protests, and talk with me for hours about our experiences as eager new teachers. When I moved to Hawaii, I made friends with people taking a break from the high stress of mainland U.S., adventure-seekers, and--best of all--my parents.

Now that I am abroad, I've made friends with one of the best friends I've ever had. It's a bold statement to make--am I publicly confessing my love for someone who I've only met 3 months ago? Perhaps. But I'm amazed at the fact that after having moved halfway across the globe, I've found someone who shares my taste in music (and not just a love for the music, but the same emotional, other-level connection to it), will talk politics with me (share my views and teach me about other perspectives), is also in the process of developing a positive, make-things-happen attitude after coming out of a draining yet ultimately life-hanging experience, watches all the same shows as me and knows what shows, movies, and books to suggest to me, aims to see the world, will talk with me on the phone for hours, appreciates a good cup of coffee, knows much about and is curious about Filipino culture (and is also one of the most 'down' White girls I know), is supportive of me in my interests that she doesn't share, and teaches me about interests that she has and I have no experience in.

Meeting her and making friends everywhere I go does much for me in making the big, scary world feel much smaller and cozier. The world has less barriers. The list of reasons NOT to e.g., move to a new place, try a new activity, talk to strangers, or have faith in an ultimately good outcome becomes shorter and shorter. I can do anything with the support of friends and an endless desire to make more and new friends.